#q: age you get mistaken for

[cellarspider]

Qunlat 3/12: Phonaesthetics and Phonotactics

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“Shok ebasit hissra. Meraad astaarit, meraad itwasit, aban aqun. Maraas shokra. Anaan esaam Qun.”

Why does this feel different than English, or any other language you might know? phonaesthetics and orthography! The sound of a language and the way it’s written are your first introduction to it, so they’re logical places to start. Let’s dive in.

The above text is the first bit of Qunlat you ever hear, recited by Sten during his imprisonment in Lothering. It has a particular character to it: To an English-speaker, it feels like it can fit equally well with someone speaking forcefully, or gently. It also feels pretty pronounceable, coming from an English perspective. You might not know what to do with a word like “anaan”, but you can make a guess. The orthography, the way it’s written, seems relatively straightforward. And it gives you a sense of its phonaesthetics, the aesthetic qualities of how the language is spoken, including the phonology and phonotactics: what sounds are in the language, and what order you can put them in. These give a language its own identity, even when you don’t understand it.

For an English-speaker, Qunlat is an approachable constructed language. Maybe not as “pretty” as Elvhen, but it’s not giving you any tongue-twisters. I certainly liked it, when I first played DAO way back in the day. I liked it so much that I’m doing this, after all.

Outside of the fiction of the game, Qunlat essentially began as a written language, read aloud by pretty much just one dude: Mark Hildreth, the voice of Sten. These two sources set the template for the rest of the series, with caveats we’ll get to later. I’ll be starting with Qunlat as it’s presented to us in DAO and the main DA2 campaign (minus item names), because these two sources have the most agreement with each other. 

This took an ungodly amount of time to put together. I made the mistaken assumption that the wiki was comprehensive in its documentation of the two games, and that turned out to be wrong. I ended up having to dive into the Dragon Age Toolset to find more vocabulary, and I may still have missed some–I’m not particularly agile with that thing. And the more I found, the more inconsistencies I discovered, and the harder it became to structure this post. So this will only contain a relatively brief description of each source, which is backed up by a pile of data I’ve compiled here:

In DAO and DA2, spoken Qunlat never includes the letters C, F, J, X, Y or Z. The letter W only appears in the word itwa (“to fall”), and nowhere else. In DAO and DAI, Ps only appear at the start of a couple of set phrases: Panahedan (“goodbye”, “take refuge in safety”), and parshaara (“enough”, Sten’s favorite grumpy noise). Similarly in DAO and DAI, the letter U only appears in the name Koslun, and in the context of “QU”, except for one word that’s never been mentioned since DAO: Uukluk, which describes a Qunari architectural style the rest of the games seem to have turned away from. Unlike in English, Q doesn’t need to be accompanied by a U: Qabala and Qamek work just fine without it. 

Consonants follow certain phonotactic rules: This is the difference between “wing” and “ngiw”: one of them is permissible in English phonotactics, the other is not. Why? Because the start and end of a syllable are different roles that aren’t interchangeable. “Ngiw” is perfectly pronounceable, yet it would never arise within English as a result of the language’s internal rules. Vietnamese, though? Different phonotactics, and therefore that string of sounds is entirely possible. In fact, you might potentially use a word that sounds like that while describing the Qunari. Each language has its own phonotactics, and it’s a vital part of the language’s distinct feel.

When talking about individual syllables, we break them down into the onset, nucleus, and coda: the onset is the start of the syllable, the nucleus is its core, and the coda is anything that follows the nucleus. Because languages are hilarious, we have no good definition of what a syllable is, but generally you need a nucleus, and the onset and coda are optional. 

Qunlat in general is far more restrictive in its phonotactics than English is, and tends toward very simple syllables. most have one onset consonant, and one vowel: a “CV” syllable. “VC” is also allowed, but it’s rarer than “CV” or “CVC”. A very, very few are “CCVC” or “CVCC”, where two consonants sit together in the onset or coda. This theoretically means the maximum size of a Qunlat syllable is “CCVCC”, but there are currently no canon words that allow this.⁽¹⁾

Qunlat also has a number of dipthongs or vowel digraphs–Either two vowels placed next to each other, or two letters used to represent a single sound. It’s hard to tell what some of these are intended to be. These are AA, AH, AY, EE, EH, and OH. The dubious word Uukluuk contains UU, but it seems to be non-standard and never used again. The AA and EH vowels can appear anywhere in a word, while EE has only been used between two consonants, and the rest are only used if they’re at the end of a word: vah, toh, and say are valid and canonical words, while ahv, oht, and ays are not possible.

Unlike English, Qunlat isn’t fond of big consonant clusters. While English can give us words like “strengths”, which is a nine letter word spelled with eight consonants and pronounced with six, The most intense Qunlat gets in the first two games is “Ashkaari”: eight letters, four consonants, three consonant sounds.⁽²⁾ As a result, it may come across as less harsh and choppy than English does to many. The only valid consonant clusters that can stand on their own are ST (Sten, ast, etc.) and the rare BR (brak). No other consonant clusters can be placed at word boundaries.

There are four consonantal digraphs in DAO and DA2: DD, SH, SS, and TH. The double S appears to be a long S, while DD could be a geminate consonant, i.e. a doubled-up consonant sound (ex. English “midday”), though it isn’t often pronounced that way in the games. SH and TH sound the same as they do in English. DD is only found in the middle of words, TH and SS never found at the start of words, while SH can appear anywhere:

DD - Viddathari SH - Shok, ashkaari, ataash SS - Hissra, iss (see note) TH - Athlok, kith, dathrasi

note: there’s no words that end in -ss in DAO or DA2, only later material.

Then there are intervocalic consonant clusters, consonants that can sit together if they’re sandwiched between two vowels (ex. Ashkaari, hissra). There’s only a few of these attested in DAO and DA2, and a few more in later material.

The written language also features a favorite of many fantasy languages: hyphens. Hyphens are used to either stitch together words that are acting as a single unit, or to separate syllables that could produce ambiguous pronunciation. Tal-Vashoth has a hyphen because Tal (“true”) and Vashoth (“grey”) are forming a single conceptual unit, meaning one who’s left the Qun. The hyphen in “Asit tal-eb” helps make it clear to the reader that it’s tal and eb, not ta and leb.

To be honest, there’s no hard and fast rules on where to use these. DAO uses them sparingly, while DA2 uses them more often. It depends on whether you feel a word or phrase requires it, to match your intended reading or aesthetic.

Speaking of “no hard and fast rules”: speaking Qunlat.

As I intimated before, the voice actors appear to have been given very loose direction at best on how to pronounce Qunlat. Not everybody’s going to be getting the full Lord of the Rings or Avatar or Dune⁽³⁾ coaching. If they’re lucky, they get a written pronunciation guide, which may be entirely idiosyncratic to the writer. 

Mark Hildreth gave it a damn good try, but other voice actors like Rick Wasserman (the Arishok), Keith Ferguson (Arvaarad and various other qunari voices), and Felicia Day (Tallis) all give it their own damn good try. All of them have been native English-speakers, and so when confronted with an unfamiliar language, they… try to pronounce it like English.

This is a problem, because the English.

[A reading of The Chaos, a poem by the 19th century Dutch writer Gerard Nolst Trenité. Best listened to while reading a copy of the text, so you can really appreciate the level of understandable salt this man was working through over English.]

That’s why nobody can agree on how “Qunari” is pronounced. Is it with a hard K? A “kyu” sound? That’s supported by DAO as an intended pronunciation,⁽⁴⁾ but it’s not always followed. Sometimes it sounds like a “Kwu”, even. All of these are valid pronunciations in English, but English has a famously infuriating writing system that is composed of more exceptions than actual rules. 

Most languages actually aren’t like that. English-speaking kids have to spend years learning how to write, but Finnish kids just need to learn the alphabet. Once they’ve done that, they can pretty much write any word they want, because the alphabet is so consistent with how it’s actually spoken. Hangul not only has a similar one-to-one correlation, its letters even look like how you shape your mouth when you make the sound!

But hey, at least English isn’t Tibetan. My sincere condolences to those learning the language, you’ve got your work cut out for you.⁽⁵⁾

I have my own system worked out for pronouncing the language, which I’ll make explicit later. But with regards to canon: I’ll do my best to catalog things at a later date, but all pronunciations are going to be highly variable based on the source. My best advice on this is to listen to whichever performance you like best, and use that as your template. Canon is all over the place, and you can make of it what you want. 

Unfortunately, it becomes extremely all over the place in terms of spelling, as we get to everything outside of DAO and DA2’s dialog.

And my job becomes more complicated. So complicated, that I wrote an entire second post on this, then decided it was overkill. I can post it if desired, but the “Dictionary” and “Phonological Inventory” spreadsheet in the workbook of madness contains the raw facts of everything. It also provides notes on the weird differences between DA2’s spoken dialog and the item names.

Before we end this post–say you want to take what’s been presented here and run with it. You want to make new words for yourself. How would you do that?

It’s finally time to talk about one more aspect of phonaesthetics: certain sounds and sound combinations are rarer or more common than others. For example, “birtend” seems like a plausible English word, partly because it contains common English letters. “Zuquxay” doesn’t seem English, even though it’s easily pronounceable by English-speakers, because it has a bunch of rare letters in it, strung together in rare ways. Changing how frequently sounds are used in a conlang will heavily impact its overall feel.

Because I am not entirely sane, I’ve constructed a frequency chart for Qunlat. Actually, several, depending on whether you want a count of consonant clusters or just distinct sounds, and whether you want content that fits with DAO and DA2, or if you want every word ever called Qunlat.

Turns out, up to a quarter of the entire language is just the letter A. 

Next time, depending on what people desire: an examination of how Qunlat begins to vary more outside of DAO and DA2’s dialog, or we move ahead to phonology. Either way, we will be properly introduced to the works of my nemesis: Philliam, a Bard!.

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Footnotes

(1) Some may wonder “but what about a word like Vashoth, where you could consider shoth as its own five-letter syllable?” Well, it’s five letters, but only three sounds. I get into that a little further down the main text, under the subject of “digraphs”. If you’re wondering about the word ashkost, though, good choice! I’m pretty sure the word is split as ash-kost though, so I’m still right. :P

(2) For anyone wondering why “strengths” and “ashkaari” contains fewer consonant sounds than consonant letters, it’s because “ng”, “th”, and “sh” are two-letter combinations that each produce a single sound: You don’t pronounce “sing” as “sin-g”, or “the” as “t-he”, or “shush” as “s-hus-h”. Or at least I don’t, you do you.

(3) Though I should of course note that while the actors in Dune received packets of information from linguist David J Peterson, he didn’t have any direct interaction with the actors. He also didn’t coach their pronunciation of Arabic stuff like Madhi or Lisan al-Gaib, and hooboy, some of those are wobbly.

(4) When you’re tracking down Sten’s sword, the man who looted it has a surprised response that’s phonetically written out: “We're looking for a qunari sword.” “Kyun-what? I'm sorry, I... ah... I don't know what that--”. That would seem fairly unambiguous, but when listening back through samples from the games, Sten and the Arishok pronounce the word /kunɔri/, and you’d hope both their actors were coached on this one. I’ve also heard /kʷu/ pronunciations, not just /kju/. In fact, the only place /kju/ seems to be the unambiguous pronunciation is for “Qun” as a standalone word. As a conlanger who likes unambiguous romanization schemes, this annoys me greatly. Side note, if any of this is unfamiliar, stick around for when I talk more about phonology! I promise, it’s fun! You get to listen to strange little mouth noises on wikipedia, including the funniest little “üü” sound I’ve ever heard in my life!

(5) While English spelling has been afflicted with the pronunciations that were most common several centuries ago, written Tibetan has been largely unchanged for eight hundred years. The spoken language, however, has continued changing. This has created some wide divergences between the written and spoken languages: while the name of one of the central Tibetan province might be pronounced something like “Ü-Tsang”, it’s written as དབུས་གཙང, which is more literally transcribed as “Dbus-Gtsang”. If you’re writing or reading Tibetan, you just have to know that ahead of time. 

But don’t worry! English might get like that one day too!

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[sui-imi]

[OLD Q&A] Roo answers some stuff

Hello! A month or so ago, I had Roo answer some questions on twitter. I decided that it'd also be good to archive most of them here, so you guys can learn a bit more :] (some of it is kind of important?? i think... haha)

Click here to read the original tweet and all responses.

NOTE: answers are in character! Therefore, all questions below were answered by Roo! (undereats!sans)

edited: august 2024 (to fix small lore inaccuracies)

Qs & As under readmore! (warning: long post)

[names listed below are twitter users' URL.]

[Q from LazeroFox] Is there any place that you can’t really go? Like an au that’s destroyed-

[ROO] depends. if you know an AU's coordinates, the bike can create a portal for you. and when we receive orders, the customer's details are automatically sent to our phones.

[ROO] but if an AU's destroyed, it'll either send you to the void, or it won't create a portal at all.

---

[Q from mmm99tunas] Does Roo ever get a break? What does he spend his hard-earned Gs on? (aside from gallons of BBC sauce)

[ROO] oh yeah. i get loads of nap time inbetween rounds. just punch in some random cords, hide somewhere and snooze a bit. it's the easy life.

[ROO] (though technically that's not allowed so don't tell my boss)

[ROO] as for my G, usually i spend it at grillby's 2. it's hella good.

---

[Q from Malina_Vivvivu] Is there a place Roo hates delivering at :∆?

[ROO] hah... haha... hahaha....

[ROO] the doodlesphere, for one. and those evil sanses. i feel like i age 10 years everytime they're on my delivery list.

[ROO] why are they so violent?? they're the ones who ordered the food???

[M] They like playing before eating ((:

[ROO] is it playing or bullying??? i swear, it's like they only start when i arrive...

---

[Q from bl4ck_st4rs] What do you do if you mess up someone’s order? (pick up the wrong one or spill/drop it)

[ROO] woah now. i would never mess up a valued customer's order like that. who do you take me for?

[ROO] but if i did...

[ROO] you just gotta grovel. make 'em think you're gonna die if they don't forgive you. not that i'd ever mess up.

[* He looks shifty eyed.]

---

[Q from sweetnad_uwu] Hi Roo! The traveling moped u have, the only way anyone can get one is if they work to the same company you do? Or is there any other way to get it?

[ROO] hiya. and yep. gotta be a UE driver for the magic bike.

[ROO] the boss is REAL good at keeping track of 'em. they've never left a bike unaccounted for, and they always know when i "accidentally" break mine.

[ROO] feels like they're all-seeing or something. freaks me out.

---

[Q from AnnoyingFox20] dear roo,if you met an actual a person that charming and wise,nice,so caring do you consider to be your bf in your life? 😏😏😏

[ROO] sorry pal. spot's taken.

[* He's fiddling with a bottle.]

[ROO] his name's arbiter. he's real chill, owns the condiment hall. sells the best bbq sauce in the multiverse.

[* It seems he's mistaken 'bf' for 'bbq finder'...]

---

[Q from ZippyDoZane] Zane: Do you deliver to far off kingdoms? Also eh heh heh if you do could you stay for a bit? I got board games that we can play. The king will give you a big tip if you do eh heh heh.

[ROO] "UnderEats - if you can order it, we can deliver it!"

[ROO] ...that's not actually the slogan. it's actually...

[ROO] "UnderEats - tip the drivers, and they'll be your best buds!"

[ROO] ... so what time should i come over?

---

[Q from jasper2450] Have the bad guys ever wrecked your motorcycle?

[ROO] (cough) er... technically THEY didn't wreck it. but if they force me to use it, it's kind of their fault right??

[ROO] i mean, i always tell them, "don't make me use my special attack". and what do they do? they make me use it.

[ROO] so yes. it's their fault.

---

[Q from KaylaTSkeleton] is there anywhere roo likes delivering to?

[ROO] any AU where i can deliver food without being put in a whacky situation is good enough for me.

[ROO] i'm fond of underswap right now. swap papyrus is a real pain in the coccyx, but if i snitch to blue, it always pisses him off. hehehehe.

[ROO] plus they always tip well.

---

[Q from zeni_zetty] have you ever get Chase by simp???...

[ROO] huh? who? (what's a simp???)

[ROO] i mean, i HAVE been chased before. but i don't remember anyone specifically, except those bad sanses.

[ROO] ...do i even WANT to remember?? don't chase innocent workers please...

---

[Q from necropathy_] Do you have any destinations/AUs that you don't mind/prefer delivering to?

[ROO] underswap, outertale, dancetale...

[ROO] and uh... horror AUs. well, they don't really order. but sometimes food just. slips out of my bag whilst i'm passing through.

[ROO] uh. don't tell the boss. we have this whole non-intervention policy, so...

---

[Q from SolarPhoenix7] I know you probably deliver a lot of different foods, but what's your own favorite dish?

[ROO] anything bbq flavoured is delish.

[ROO] by the way. you ever been to grillby's 2? their burgers are to die for. tho honestly i could eat just about anything and enjoy it.

[ROO] as long as it's not mtt food. no idea how they own so many stores across the multiverse. 0 stars.

---

[Q from Greedy621] Hi! Do you ever getting weird requests other than food delivery?

[ROO] the app is only designed for food delivery, so not particularly. but it does has a messaging feature. which is used... creatively... by some people.

[ROO] if anyone ever sends you a pic on there, don't open it. i promise you it's not worth it.

[G] Ok, now I’m curious what kind of pictures have you saw to made you give this advice.

[* He looks like he's remembering something unpleasant...]

[ROO] sorry, client confidentially. trust me... you REALLY don't wanna know.

[pageofheartdj]

Yeah, Western ideology does very much enjoy infecting others as best it can. The USA education system is one of the most divided if I'm not mistaken? Divided in like, the quality of your education can vary wildly depending on where you live instead of a standard being approximately the same throughout schools. People dont choose where they are born and must live (until they move out) but it seems absurd that being born on one side of a city versus the other could be the difference between getting an education that'll prepare you for high school and/or post high school, and one that prepares you for the ever-shrinking factory worker role.

I'm from canada personally and I won't say that ours is much better (our schools are entirely modelled into preparing people for factory work. That was the original goal of our schools. Learn to stand in line, follow the bells, etc. Out high schools (in some provinces) are split into two ""tracks"". University (called academic) and college (called applied). Applied teaches you the absolute basics and pretty much prepares people for factory work. Academic focuses on teaching analytical thinking, critical thinking, essay writing and applying thought to ideas. Totally definitely totally a fair system, because you cant go from applied to academic but you can go academic to applied (applied versions of the classes dont count as prerequisite to academic classes. Basically locks people into a worse education. Theres also a big judgement culture on getting into university because college is considered lesser and for idiots because in canada university is theory and thought focused and colleges are skill and applied knowledge focus)

I think you make good points and it definitely is most obvious in USA where literacy is declining. Unfortunately it happens here in canada too, people just dont talk about us much lol

I think part of it, especially with the us is control. It is a LOT easier to control people if they struggle with critical thinking. Not teaching people how to find information and formulate opinions without (much) outside influence means it is a ton easier just to tell people what they should and shouldnt do. Obviously this thing is bad if it hurts kids, right? But they arent taught how to consider how would it hurt them? Why? What are the alternatives? If kids are hurting why are they pushing other laws and whatnot to hurt them more? Etc etc

Which... not to get political because it isnt quite the best area to bring up randomly, but just going to mention the rise of facism and decline in critical thinking and media literacy are oddly in sync in the US. And there have been studies (here is a quick link but theres tons of articles and papers you can find quick https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.washington.edu/provost/2018/04/23/fake-news-and-misinformation-why-teaching-critical-thinking-is-crucial-for-democracy/&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiB89mKnLmAAxUyFzQIHeOnAgYQFnoECAEQAg&usg=AOvVaw2s4TP6UzreLCWaEozRvTPx) that link a lack of critical thinking to people being more firm in biases, more susceptible to misinformation and propaganda, and to a lack of wanting to learn (stagnant beliefs).

Just. To point out that it might be partially not just people being addicted to phones, though that is a big factor. It's one of those situations where you need to ask "who might benefit" if it seems like there are no positives.

Anyways, it is really sad that people aren't being encouraged to think, really if you think about it? Social media is a lot of parroting back and blending in, making your literal person a brand, and echo chambers. Younger folks especially are losing out on those in person social interactions as most is replaced online, which means people arent getting together to chat as much. There is always something else, which limits a person's opportunities to get deep, debate in a risk free space, and just be around other people.

Its complicated and sad, and really weird that the supposed age of information brought about a general decline in thinking capabilities.

We have something similar too with colleges and universities and maybe there is some bias but not big and honestly more people talk how learning skills is more useful that just whatever they do in universities xD

And yeah it's logical for facsist regime to want dumb people. A person can know that some things are bad, but not because WHY it's bad. And that's how we get progressive young people eagerly support censorship. Indirectly support fascism. And when they will notice what is happening it will be too late. (and it's sad to see them ruining what previous generations were fighting for)

Internet definetely also desentitised people? With so much information about the world, there is less compassion. People have no problem being horrible to others because the screen separates them.

It's a mess. Honestly I think it was a mistake letting kids into social media. They are too impressionable and there is too many bad people who will take advantage of it. And it's harder for parents to keep track of dangerous people around their kids(not to mention parents who don't care what their kids do on internet in general). But it's still complicated, because internet also gives kids community they can't get in real life =(

[tenthdocter]

Random numbers: 6, 10, 23, 34, 45 :)

6: Age you get mistaken for

there isn't ever a specific age but people always think i'm younger which is quite frustrating aha

10: Want any piercings?

no not really. never been interested in getting any tbh

23: My relationship with my sibling(s)

currently only really have a good relationship with one of my older brothers. haven't had a good relationship with my eldest one for many years now. and my sister is kinda estranged from us atm but generally we've been quite close in the past. and i hope we will be again one day

34: What I find attractive in women

I feel like you need to answer this in 2 parts so -

Personality: kind, caring, a good sense of humour, sensitive

Physical features: curvy, nice eyes, nice lips, nice bum

(I kinda used to be a looks-based guy when it came to girls but honestly as i grew up i realised it's all about personality. your true soulmate could easily be someone that isn't your normal type)

(No Q. 45 so i'll do number 43 like you asked)

43: Sexiest person that comes to my mind immediately

honestly my celeb crush has always been bonnie wright but she's becoming more of a childhood/teenage crush now aha. and i wouldn't say i have a big celeb crush atm so let's just say bonnie cause i was really really into her at one point haha

Thank you! I hope you're having a good day! :D

Wanna be nosy? Here’s your chance

[bitchpleasebitchthankyou]

Miss Manners on: Mommy Ageism

Q: On behalf of older parents, I would like to inquire how to handle being mistaken for my children's grandmother. (Granted, the ages involved make it technically possible for me to be a grandmother to my tween and young teen sons.) Please note that where I live, a lot of moms are older, so I mostly get these assumptions and questions when traveling. A border officer almost became combative when I pushed back against him calling me "Granny" in front of my sons. And I am still stung when I recall a 60ish woman sharply but rhetorically questioning me in front of my sons during an otherwise pleasant visit to a tourist attraction: "You're the mother?!!!?" The cutting harshness of her tone still hurts. (People often say I look youthful; apparently, she disagreed.) I have also experienced this in a few business settings. Personnel should not always assume a middle-aged woman is a grandmother, rather than a mother. How should older moms and dads respond in these sorts of scenarios?

Miss Manners on: By saying, "I'm their grandmother's daughter."

Your Head Bitch says: Oh my god, SO rude. It reminds me of the time my friend's child responded 'But you're OLD!' when I told her I didn't have any children. You'd think grownups would know better, but apparently not. I think in a less charitable moment I might have responded 'I didn't realize I needed to travel with their birth certificates as well' but I think sassing a border guard is perhaps not the smartest call. I think you have two main options. The first, incredulous: 'Yes, of course? Why would I lie to you about this?' and then silence and an anticipatory stare until they realize (hopefully) how rude they're being. Or two, a little more jokey: 'I didn't think I looked quite THAT bad when I left the house this morning...' It think between those two you should be able to cover most eventualities and make people realize they are being, and I cannot emphasize this enough, FUCKING RUDE. Jesus. Miss M's solution also works for the more literal among us, and I imagine has its uses as well.

Where's Alexis when you need her?

[prnews-press]

Five Biggest Myths About TV Talk Show Interviews Debunked by Marianne Schwab, Former Network Talk Show Producer

TV talk shows have long been a sought-after platform for entrepreneurs to showcase their expertise, gain exposure, and connect with a broader audience. However, misconceptions about the nature of these shows can lead to unrealistic expectations and missed public relations opportunities. Understanding the realities behind certain myths can help entrepreneurs navigate the talk show landscape more effectively and harness the true potential of this influential broadcast media to promote their business, brand, or book.

According to Marianne Schwab, a former national TV Talk Show Producer, there are five myths about TV talk shows and she debunks them so entrepreneurs can better understand the truth behind these mistaken beliefs as they pursue getting talk show interviews.

Myth #1: No one watches TV (or talk shows) anymore. In today’s digital age, it’s easy to assume that TV talk shows have lost their relevance, given the declining viewership of traditional television. However, this assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. According to Marianne, “I’ve actually had people ask me if people even watch TV anymore and it’s true that fewer people may tune in to watch talk shows on a conventional TV screen, but their popularity has simply adapted to the digital landscape. People now consume talk show content on iPhones, iPads, Smart devices, laptops, and other gadgets, transforming the viewing experience into a more personalized and on-the-go affair.”

In fact, “Nearly half of all adults now watch video (including talk show segments) via a connected TV device daily, a significant increase from 29 per cent five years ago, and 6 per cent a decade ago,” said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group. “While Smart TVs are a key component of the connected TV category, the vast majority of connected TV users stream via multiple types of devices.”

Myth #2: TV Talk Shows are different in 2023 than they were when they started in the 1950’s.  Many entrepreneurs may believe that TV talk shows have undergone significant changes in their format over the years, especially with the advent of new media platforms and digital content, however, the reality is that the basic format and structure of TV talk show segments and interviews have remained relatively consistent. They typically begin with a host introduction of a guest, followed by a Q&A session, and often conclude with a call to action, such as promoting a book, product, or upcoming movie or music project.

Myth #3: Marketing and public relations are the same thing. Entrepreneurs often make the mistake of assuming that marketing and public relations serve the same purpose, especially when it comes to talk show appearances. However, it’s crucial to understand the fundamental differences between these two to ensure that interviews don’t turn into overtly promotional infomercials. “Advertising is saying you’re good. As long as it’s truthful, you can say anything you want, however, public relations is getting someone else to say you’re good and that’s where you can really build trust with your potential clients and customers,” Marianne shares. “By recognizing the distinction between marketing and public relations, entrepreneurs can leverage their talk show appearances to cultivate meaningful connections and authority with the audience. No amount of advertising can give you the credibility that being featured in the media or on a talk show can. There is something magical about this phenomenon.”

Myth #4: PR agencies get clients featured on TV and publicity is free. Entrepreneurs often hold the misconception that hiring a PR agency guarantees them talk show interviews and that publicity comes without any cost. “PR agencies play a crucial role in managing a company’s overall public image and media relations, but they are not necessarily specialists in securing talk show interviews. That requires a more specialized approach and that’s why agencies have hired my company for over 25 years to get their clients broadcast public relations results with interviews on radio and TV,” Marianne says. “Also, it’s crucial to recognize that PR is not free. Whether you hire a publicist or handle the publicity efforts yourself, there are costs involved. What really breaks my heart is when I see entrepreneurs invest $15K to $30K in a PR agency and they don’t even get one talk show interview when I know that I get my clients multiple guaranteed talk show interviews to build their brand and credibility.”

Myth #5: The first interview will be on a national talk show. One of the most common misconceptions among entrepreneurs is the belief that their first talk show interview will be on a nationally syndicated or network program. National talk shows typically feature high-profile guests, celebrities, or industry experts with established reputations or significant accomplishments. Marianne says, “While it’s not impossible for entrepreneurs to secure a national talk show appearance early on, it’s quite rare and important to recognize that the path to national exposure often begins at the local level. Local TV talk shows provide an excellent platform for entrepreneurs to gain valuable experience, refine their messaging, and build credibility within their community. These shows often focus on highlighting local talent, businesses, and unique stories, making them more accessible for entrepreneurs who are just starting out.”

In conclusion, debunking these five biggest TV talk show myths is crucial for entrepreneurs seeking to leverage this powerful platform so they can approach talk show appearances with realistic expectations and maximize their opportunities for success.

Marianne Schwab has worked as a producer in New York and Los Angeles and is currently the Executive Producer of CMP Media Cafe. She is dedicated to helping experts, book authors, and high level entrepreneurs land TV Talk Show interviews in today’s complicated media environment so they can promote their business, product, or brand in a way that makes anyone who sees their interview fall in love with them, their message, and their mission. She shares public relations tips on Instagram and has created an online training that shares her insider secrets to promoting a business on TV talk shows with details for the types of experts producers love to book as guests.

[tulipfromtheinternet]

A few Q's for you!

6. What age do you get mistaken for?

7/8. Do you have any, or want any, tattoos?

22. What do you want to be when you get older?

36. Where would you like to live?

43. Who's the sexiest person that comes to your mind immediately? 😉

6. The average is 22. I think it’s the round face and high voice😂

7/8. I just got my first tattoo in February! It’s a line art if a red sun! I really love how it turned out🥰

22. I want to be a midwife! I want to be the kind of person a person feels safe with when they’re going through something they need help with 💕

36. I like living where I am now. I would like to travel though!

43. My boyfriend 🤩

Send me questions

[peaceeandcoolestvibes]

Seriously why are any of yall even dating scorpios like if I find out someone’s a scorpion I don’t want them around and I certainly wouldn’t touch them with a stick LMFAO rams don’t waste time

Fr nobody likes them 🙌🏾 if you do you’re probably as insecure and shallow as they are

There was one in class the past year or so and she thought I was mad that I wasn’t invited to her bday party when I didn’t even talked to her

I made friends and she wasn’t even in my circle and then she came back crawling and started to get closer or talk and hug and ask for help and it was like

Girl ion care or even wanna be friends, stay awesome. Like I get invited EVERYWHERE LMAO, chill and get over yourself (she later on confessed) (didn’t even wish her a happy bday, like isn’t it clear that I don’t care lol)

They think they’re the center of everyone’s universe and ofc I ignored her 99% of the time 🥴 I was not surprised when she said she had like 2 friends ,, no wonder bbs

A colleague said oh well we get along great idk (this chick is a sag but it’s like YALL sags are kinda dumb sometimes bc you excel @ things and almost everyone is clearly taking advantage of you and you’re happy and feel like a savior bc of that??? Like where’s the pair of balls yall are supposed to have. Sags have big flaws and one of them is people taking advantage and them being happy about it like uM pls love yourselves #SelfEsteemIssues- thank god she didn’t say they were friends bc I would’ve been like SHUT UP) and I said out loud every time how much I don’t like her,,, it’s the vibes and shit 🩷 like more than one time she asked me which pic should she post on instagram and I didn’t even follow her

Shallow as hell 💯

#WeAreNotCompatibleStopTrynnaMakeItHappen

Like Pisces and cancer are also a big no but cancer women and men always befriend me and as long as I don’t date them it’s ‘fine’. Same w Pisces. If someone asks me out and I find out they’re a water sign after my first ex I CAREFULLY analyze my options :) which means No

If I’m not mistaken, a professor I also don’t like was a Scorpio and she was the laziest sis I’ve ever seen. Not wanting to do the classes, skipping them with dumb ass reasons and also wanting me to date his buddy, aka another professor dropping dumb ass hints (we’re all around the same age) bc well I’m awesome and he’s unable to utter a word in my presence and them being just embarrassing together like im- #YallWeird

She also had the worst personality ever (legit it made me throw up), dictator like and while I liked her in the beginning bc they all like me and want me to do shit and represent them and whatever dumb shit,, the personality was a big turn off and I ended up ignoring her and not even saying hi when I was supposed to say it back like I literally don’t like yall scorpios and I hope yall understand the message here lmao,, I even complained about her openly like one thing about us Aries is we’re very open about our opinions NADHKAJSSK we don’t care and we’ll say out loud what everyone is thinking (even went to this guy who wants to date me bc his main issue is his arrogance and his niceness only towards me and a couple of other people,, to the rest he’s a rude ass idiot so I told him and he felt embarrassed and tried to give me excuses like I legit said

I complained about this girl but what about you? You rude ass bitch, the way u talk to people is unacceptable 🤨🤨

He went mute

PERIODT

Another professor apologized for his behavior,, in the end that’s and seems a hella toxic workplace and you get infected bc I really really liked him last year,, (mi prima trabaja allí y ya os confirmo q es TÓXICO el ambiente laboral porque llevaba tiempo sin verla y la vi demacrada y quemada y mira q Cris es siempre el alma de la fiesta. Ella y mi primo leo 🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷 Cristina, no es por nada pero lo da mil vueltas a todos los profes de allí porque lo sé obviamente jUASS y por como es y luego mi prima Ceci! Que siempre está allí 🎈🎈🎈 siempre nos trae regalos 🎁 ella y mi madre parecen gemelas) in fact he was one of my favourites. In the end u end up not liking any of them DUE TO THEIR BEHAVIOR (one thing after another) but mad respect bc he apologized. Thing he was the only one. He was your typical Aquarius (male Aquarius I’ve met are intelectual humble and v v nice,, as a teenager I hardcore liked one so yeah). I sometimes really like them esp dudes but girls? Nah they’re usually very very detached from life and pretty much horrible people. I have a couple of friends but we’re friends bc they’re different than these types

No judgment towards humans but when u don’t like someone for xyz reasons and then u find out they’re a Scorpio, it’s like a 2x1 deal,,, they’re unbearable, they ALWAYS take advantage of people and think they’re powerful when Aries is the powerful one 💯

Luego oH ES QUE SHARI NI ME MIRA NI ME HABLA LADJSI COMO COÑO OS VOY A HABLAR SI APENAS OS RESPETO POR VUESTRO COMPORTAMIENTO DE NIÑO PEQUEÑO O NIÑA PEQUEÑA Y SUS RESPECTIVAS PATALETAS QKFKSLDKSIDSINCOMO SI TUVIÉRAMOS AQUÍ 3 AÑOS MENTALES

[eurythmicx]

40-50

ᵍᵉᵗ ᵗᵒ ᵏⁿᵒʷ ᵐᵉ, ᵖⁱᶜᵏ ˢᵒᵐᵉ ⁿᵘᵐᵇᵉʳˢ! 𝖒𝖊𝖒𝖊..

040: my sister, billie dragging me to sit out on the roof with her and we smoked cigarettes until the sun began to rise. i screamed all of my fears out. composed heartache into therapy, and felt renewed. i told billie that a boy didn’t break my heart, but a girl .. and then my sister came out to me. we laughed. we cried. - and then fell asleep with a new comfort in life. 041: a single pringle. 042: the bell jar - sylvia plath. 043: tough. its ever changing. honest. just like heaven - the cure. 044: 26. 045: i don’t have one particularly, but most of them are music icons, and i have my parents ultimately to thank for such amazing exposure. 046: i thought skinny dipping would be sexy and free. nope. leeches are not cool. rivers SUCK. ( my sister. ) 047: genuinity, warm breath against skin, subtle touches, lip bites, lingering eyes, 048: someone being a solid asshole. selfishness. arrogance. egos the size of the moon. 049: somewhere where my legs can be tangled in silk sheets, and the warm sun on my skin creeping through laced curtains. 050: a photo in my room, of my mother. 

[beccalendsahand]

ZuCasino, Yuzuka Rei: October 2022

Long time no translations! It's been a busy year but I finally found the time to finish an interview that I really really love, I hope you are able to understand more about Rei with this sweet Q&A! ZuCasino is a current segment in Takarazuka Graph magazine where prominent otokoyaku get interviewed via a series of casino-style games and questions. October was with Yuzuka Rei. I've tried something a little different this time around where the first time an actress's name is mentioned I link her takawiki page. I've also done translation notes as I go rather than putting them all at the end. Let me know if you find this helpful or just too much. Without further ado, enjoy!

Part 1: Episode Roulette

We challenged Yuzuka Rei to play our Episode Roulette game!

(Rei has been given a roulette wheel, each section has a topic of conversation, whichever she lands on she has to answer)

A Joke That Went Wrong

Episode 1：

Alright so, this is something that happened to me today. Earlier today I went to the quick-change-station* backstage to pick up some hair products for our photo shoot. But then suddenly, our flower troupe musumeyaku from the 100th class* (Oto Kurisu, Hoshikaze Madoka and Itotsuki Yukiha) popped out of nowhere wearing Japanese biker gang outfits!!! I think they had mistaken my footsteps for those of another classmate because they jumped out in sync pulling the same funny faces as if they had known I was coming!  It was so hilarious I couldn’t stop myself from laughing at them! (laughs)

*The "quick-change-station" is an area in the wings at the Takarazuka theatres where the actresses can change between scenes, it has dressing tables and any costumes/props needed for quick changes but it's not part of the actual dressing rooms. *100th class refers to the 100th class of actresses who graduated from the Takarazuka Music School, Takarazuka is based on hierarchy, not just hierarchy within the star system but also hierarchy based on years in the company, so what class people were in at TMS is quite significant, and actresses have a strong bond with those in their troupe who they were at TMS with. When Rei refers to “another classmate” she means another girl from the 100th class. Later on in this interview, Rei will refer to one of her own “classmates”, Rei’s class was the 95th class.

Something you've been thinking about

Episode 2:

My baby nephew has been on my mind a lot! I often get sent videos of him, he’s over a year old now and has started walking and saying things that sound like words, I can’t get over how fast he’s growing. There’s quite a lot of us in the flower troupe who have nieces and nephews around the same age, so I like to know how they are doing too. Even though I haven’t met them in person, because me and the other flower troupe members are always sharing videos with each other, I feel like I’m watching over them. You know how when you were little you would get those adults who would come up to you and say “Ahh look how big you’ve grown!”? Well, I’m pretty sure I’m becoming that person!

A Special (insert here)

Episode3:

When I’m performing, I like to try and use my eyes like a camera and take pictures of everyone's faces to save to my memory. Those of the flower troupe and those of the audience. There are lots of times when I see someone's lovely sparkling smiling face and I think “Ahhh I wish I could share this with someone”. So, I want to create my own “Special SSS Seat View!”* Like, you know how when you go to theme parks you can buy photos of yourselves on the rides? It could be like that, after seeing a show you could go to Quatre Reves* and get the photos straight from my brain.

*In Japanese theatres, seats are divided by B, A, S, and sometimes SS seats too. In the Takarazuka theatres the SS seats are the middle block of the first floor at the front, so what Rei means here is that what she sees standing on stage is an even closer view than that, therefore her view would be called SSS. *Quatre Reves is the Takarazuka merchandise store, you can find them at the theatre as well as in major cities across Japan and online!

Praise someone!

Episode 4

I want to praise everyone on this earth! I think none of us expected this fight (covid) to go on for so long, but even without an end in sight, we have all carried on, one day at a time. There are probably people out there who feel a loss in confidence, and aren’t able to fight on…So I feel like we and the audience are like “comrades” living through this era of great change together. 

There is a lot of pain right now but the fact that everyone keeps going and doing there best is amazing!

Part 2: Card Game

(Rei has been given 2 decks of cards with words written on the back, deck 1 has an adjective, deck 2 has a type of person. She must take one from each deck, name a person that relates and give us an anecdote about them.)

Deck 1: Cute, Passionate, Must-See, Respected, Bizarre

Deck 2: Upperclassmen, Underclassman, Teacher, Classmate, Flower Troupe Member

Passionate Underclassman*

The “Fashionable Empire” Rockettes

When I was watching the rehearsals for the Rockette number I found myself thinking “wow they really are the picture of youth!”. They are all just so energetic and have a high awareness of the space and each other, you can tell they are thinking about how to make the dance the most effective, they are such promising underclassmen. It was a Rockette dance delivered with so much confidence!

*Underclassmen generally refer to actresses who have been in the company 7 years or less.

(Fashionable Empire, 2022) Cute Classmate

Kizuki Yuuma

We were reunited for the first time in forever in the musical “Top Hat”, it was funny though because she’s a senka member now, so everyone was treating her incredibly politely which she seemed quite humbled by (laughs). On stage, she had an immense stage presence in her dandy-style costume, and her character had a high tolerance for people's behavior, but in the wings and in the rehearsal rooms she would bow more than anyone else! I found it very cute how she would suddenly get smaller and smaller and smaller*. Her embarrassment was in huge contrast to how much she helped us throughout the show, in the way she would speak to the underclassmen and the wonderful insight she gave us into her thoughts on the performing arts. It was just so adorable to me, I remember thinking “You don’t have to make yourself so small!!” (laughs).

*In Japanese culture it's common to lower yourself when speaking in order to show respect for someone higher in age or status than you. So what Rei means here by Kizuki getting smaller and smaller is that she was probably bowing her head and bowing with her whole body so often to everyone that she was getting smaller and smaller, which is quite a funny image when you consider how she usually towers above every other actress. Kizuki recently transferred from the Moon Troupe to Senka (a troupe made up of superior members who guest star in different troupes) so there's no need for her to be lowering herself when she is actually higher ranked than everyone else, but she's not quite used to all the politeness and respectful language the actresses are giving to her yet, so she still feels a little embarrassed and finds herself doing it back to them. 

(Top Hat, 2022) (from left to right: Minami Maito, Kizuki Yuuma, Yuzuka Rei) Must-See Flower Troupe Member

Mikaze Maira

She's been Kumicho (Troupe Leader) * for half a year now and she looks after us all by giving us positive encouragement and strengthening the troupe morale. I think she makes it easy for us to all unite and move towards the same goal together by guiding us, not only in the arts but in our emotions as well. Please pay attention to our Kumicho who is full of charm and positivity! *The Kumicho (Troupe Leader) is the oldest member of the troupe, it is her duty to support the troupe and basically make sure everyone is okay, she is usually the first port of call when an actress is struggling with things like stage fright or other worries. Mikaze transferred to Flower Troupe from the Cosmos Troupe with current Flower Troupe Top Musumeyaku Hoshikaze Madoka in 2021, and took over from Takashou Mizuki as Kumicho in 2022

(The Fascination, 2022)

Part 3: Dice Game

(Rei has been given a white dice and a black dice, similar to the last game, whatever number she lands on has an assigned word, white dice adjectives, black dice nouns, the difference this time is whatever she gets she has to perform!)

White dice: 1. Cool 2. Sexy 3. Powerful 4. Flirty 5. Sweet 6. Dynamic

Black dice: 1. Face 2. Flying kiss 3. Wink 4. Pose 5. Back pose 6. Kabe-don

Part 4: Big wins at the Zucasino Question Corner

1. If you are already doing well would you place another bet? I think I usually stop myself when I start thinking about going all in on something. So rather than taking another big bet, I’m the type of person who quits while they are ahead.

2. Are you daring? Or cautious? Tenma Michiru once surprised me by saying “I used to think you were a cautious person, but actually you don’t care at all!”, her idea of the difference between daring and cautious people sounded quite black and white to me. It’s true though that I do just go for it when making decisions. For example, after deciding to move house I moved the next week, and the time between me discovering Takarazuka and enrolling at the Music School was very short.  Timing and chance of course had a lot to do with it, but I do think that when it comes down to those life-changing decisions I get this feeling of intuition to just go with my gut, maybe that's when I become daring.

3. How do you spend big money? For the last 3 years, we haven’t been able to do any trips or go out for any meals together as a troupe, so I’d like to hold a big event where the current troupe members and those who have left the troupe from 2020 onwards all go on a gorgeous trip to Hawaii together! There are so many places I want to go explore so maybe it could be a 3-4 day long trip where we can do our own thing, and then we could plan some kind of special event to do all together during our stay! The girls who have only been in Takarazuka for 1 to 3 years and those who have joined the flower troupe from other troupes like Hitoko-chan (Towaki Sea) have not experienced our dinner entertainment tradition yet, and many of the upperclassmen are itching to perform again so, I think we should put on a banquet and have a good time! Other things I’d like to spend big money on would be buying a holiday home for my parents and maybe starting my own business. Maybe something to do with children's education, something that mothers would appreciate….But I need to know how to spend money wisely first, time to study up!

4. Are you lucky? Or unlucky? I think I’m a lucky person, I’m very happy! Every now and again there are moments where I look at my life and think how happy I am that I am able to make art with the people I love. I may not be lucky enough to win in raffles or lotteries (laughs), but I’m overwhelmingly blessed to live a life surrounded by the many things that I love.

5. What is the luckiest moment you’ve experienced in your life? Entering Takarazuka was a big moment for me, both a lucky and a happy moment (laughs). Not only did I get to be a part of something I love but I met so many lovely people and learnt all sorts of things! Takarazuka has taught me so much, not just about the performing arts, but about being a person as well, I think if I hadn’t joined Takarazuka I would be completely different to who I am today.

6. A moment you’ve betted on In the early stages of joining the Takarazuka Music School you have to make the decision of whether to become an otokoyaku or a musumeyaku. But at the time I was still getting used to it all, I was kind of drowning, overwhelmed by everything, and so I completely forgot that I needed to decide…And before I knew it, we were all lined up about to make our decision! Everyone in turn saying “musumeyaku!” or “otokoyaku!” down the line! My height at the time meant that I was on the threshold between musumeyaku and otokoyaku, and so I was worrying and worrying like “Ahh which do I choose?!”. But then I heard the person before me say “Otokoyaku!” and in a spur of the moment decision I went “Yeah!” and said I wanted to be an otokoyaku. I guess you could say that was a bet? I wonder what would have happened if I had chosen to be a musumeyaku instead. I would have had to use completely different muscles, so my shoulders probably wouldn’t have broadened like they have now…Choosing to be an otokoyaku was a big turning point in my life.

7. A moment that was a close shave! The time when I was still a junior in the company and decided to climb Mt.Rokko by myself on my day off. It was a nice day despite it being winter, and so after enjoying the mountain to my heart's content I strolled back to the bus stop, only to discover the buses had already finished for the day! Looking around frantically I realised there was not a single soul to be seen, I was all alone, it was getting cold and windy and the sun was starting to set… After standing around in the cold for about 20 minutes, just as I started to worry for my life, a cyclist came speeding down the road towards me. But he passed by so fast there was nothing I could do to get his attention, but then he came back and gave me a ride to the cable car! I was one step away from ending up being a news story. I hope that man is doing well…

8. Something you want to protect with all your life The number one thing i want to protect is everyone's smiles. Maybe it's unrealistic to ask for, but I don’t want anyone's smiles to be clouded by anything, not those of the troupe, not those of the audience, or anyone I meet. Everyone is working so hard every day, the people who look after the company so that we are able to perform, the people who come to the theatre, the doctors and nurses who continue to fight to save lives, everyone, so their smiles must be protected. We are forced to endure a lot which can make our hearts feel heavy, but it's for that very reason that I want to be able to capture the smiles of the audience with my “Yuzuka Camera Lense”! No matter your birth, upbringing, age, or gender, people from all walks of life come to the theatre, lose themselves in the story being told and laugh and cry together in that shared space. How amazing is that? I’m so grateful to get to have that experience and so I want to continue to protect it.

Part 5: My Treasure

Illustrations from manga artists I have been fortunate enough to get to be a part of several plays based on famous manga, and have been gifted original illustrations from their creators. Yamato Waki who made “Haikara-san: Here Comes Miss Modern”, Hagio Moto who made “The Poe Clan” and Kamio Yoko who made “Hana Yori Dango/Boys Over Flowers” . Even now whenever I look at the pictures they drew for me I have a deep feeling of amazement of just how great their work is.

My beloved dog, Noir He’s so intelligent that it’s like he’s a human trapped inside a dogs body and at any moment he’s going to start talking to me. He is in tune to so many things and keeps at juuuust the right distance from me, all traits that would make me want to marry him if I could, he’s so cute!

Letters I’ve received from flower troupe members There is a custom in Takarazuka where you give “Pre-Raku Cards”* to those who have looked after you during the performance. I’ve kept all the ones I have received so far. It just makes me so happy that in these letters the actresses get to share with me thoughts and feelings that they don’t normally get to say to me. 

*Senshuuraku is japanese theatre speak for the final performance of a show, it is usually shortened to “Raku” by both fans and actors. “Pre-Raku Cards” or “Maeraku Cards” is a short hand for “Mae Senshuuraku cards” or “The night before closing night cards”. Celebratory messages from fans My album full of birthday cards, top star anniversary messages and other milestones is my number one most precious treasure. “No matter how far the distance may be, my heart will be your side…” This is a line from the song “An oath made on the wind” from “Haikara-san: Here Comes Miss Modern”. During the initial period of the pandemic, these words would often come to mind and they became a phrase which is now very close to my heart. The underclassmen who couldn’t perform the show quoted this line in a video they made during the theatre shutdown, it really cheered me up at that time.

Videos and photos from the flower troupe During the last performance cancellations, I was sent many videos of things like funny little updates, and people singing whilst playing the ukulele. Performance cancellations are so hard, but if we hadn’t of had them then these exchanges would never have happened..

Video title: “I will become the wind” Misora Maru Ukulele Version Picture: Flower Troupe Love Picture Caption: “Flower Troupe Love” Will never end!

Behind the Scenes!

Thank you for reading! For more Takarazuka translations click here

[lulu2992]

Hi Lulu, I've been backreading your Tumblr and I noticed you participated in a Q & A session with Greg Bryk on Instagram. He was answering questions about Far Cry 5 stuff, but I unfortunately wasn't around for that one. If you don't mind me asking, what questions and answers about FC5 do you remember from that session? If you could let me know about what I'd missed, I'd be very grateful! :)

Hi :) Yes, he did several live videos on Instagram to chat with his followers (because he was bored during lockdown and needed human connection, I think). There were a lot of questions about Far Cry 5 but also about him, his life in general, and his other projects. I do remember a lot of the things he said about the game because people always ask the same questions. There were also many things he had already mentioned in other videos and interviews.

At first, he didn’t feel like auditioning for the role of Joseph Seed and wasn’t really interested in being in a video game, mostly because he hadn’t realized how far technology had come. His agent eventually convinced him to try and Ubisoft gave him a script. It was (an early draft of) Joseph’s monologue about his wife and daughter. He said the text was amazingly written and deeply resonated with him because he too became a father at a young age. On a side note, I remember that Dan Hay (executive producer, creative director, and writer on Far Cry 5) said that, when he saw his audition, he showed it to other people and they all came to the same conclusion: “It’s him. We found The Father”.

They shot Inside Eden’s Gate in Montana in 2017 while the state was burning. He said he thought the air smelled amazing when he arrived and felt a bit dumb when he was told it was because everything was on fire. While they were shooting the short film, Drew Holmes, Far Cry 5’s lead writer, sent him the eulogies for Joseph’s siblings. Playing The Father and having to memorize those lines in an almost end-of-the-world atmosphere was special.

The day they recorded the final, collective eulogy, it took him some time to mentally prepare himself and really get in the mood. At one point, Dan Hay saw that he was ready and that they needed to shoot the scene now. When Greg was done, after two intense minutes of actual crying, the room was completely silent until the train that sometimes passes outside the studio (and forces them to stop recording whatever they’re recording) passed, and Dan turned to the devs who were there and told them he wanted them to keep everything that had just happened and to put it in the game. As a result, the cutscene is very faithful to the performance Greg gave that day.

He loved playing Joseph and felt a true connection with the character. Even though he recognizes he’s a villain, he admits he agrees with a lot of the things he says, especially about society. He also thinks “there was something pure about his commitment to his family” and that he loved his siblings equally.

He always compliments Dan Hay, Drew Holmes, and Jean-Sébastien “JS” Décant, the three main writers of Far Cry 5, and says he loved working with them because they are talented and passionate people. Being in that game was an amazing experience and, if he gets another opportunity and the writing is as good as it was in Far Cry, he would love to be in another video game.

When asked what his opinion on Far Cry New Dawn was, he simply said he liked revisiting his character and thought the relationship between Joseph and Ethan was interesting to explore as an actor and as a father. But he worked on New Dawn for a much shorter time (only a few days, if I’m not mistaken) so the experience clearly wasn’t as memorable and as life-changing as becoming The Father in Far Cry 5.

Usually, someone asks him to say something as Joseph. Usually, after reading the question, he gets closer to his phone’s camera, looks straight into it, and says with The Father’s characteristic calm tone of voice, “Something is coming. You can feel it, can't you? That we are creeping toward the edge... and there will be a reckoning”.

One of his favorite lines was, “Suffering is a choice. And you can choose a better path”.

In the trailers, when Joseph sings, it’s not Greg’s voice. In the game, though, it is.

He only worked with his “siblings” Seamus Dever, Mark Pellegrino, and Jenessa Grant for a very short time (about a day each). However, he found out that Steve Byers, who played Nick Rye, lived only “five blocks away” from his house. I think they saw each other a few times since they finished working on the game.

He’s never met Michael Mando (Vaas Montenegro in Far Cry 3) but, even before he started working on Far Cry 5, he had heard very positive things about him from other people in the Canadian acting community. He thinks he’s extremely talented and “a beast”. He’s confident that Giancarlo Esposito will be great as Antón Castillo in Far Cry 6 because he’s an amazing actor as well.

He doesn’t have the original yellow glasses anymore. He signed them and they were sold on Indiegogo to help his oldest son Dempsey fund his film, L for Loser.

He says the fans’ response to Joseph is usually very positive and he’s happy that people love the character as much as he does. He’s impressed by how talented and passionate cosplayers, fanfiction writers, fan artists, and creators in general are and he supports them because he believes it’s always good to express your creativity. He’s definitely come across some “risqué” stuff but he seems fine with that.

[ofpineapplesanddawns]

Ooh, following up on your reply on ao3; what about Crowley quizzing Aziraphale about any cryptids he's met? (Or what supernatural things exist in general, but cryptids seem to fit. Have you met Mothman? Is the statues' ass accurate?)

I'm trying to write chapter two, but now I wanna write this because I love cryptids (this isn't even my first Aziraphale being seen as one. My reverse one is thought to be a Bigfoot haha).

On with the fic!

--

"Angel, I need some serious answers from you." Crowley said from where he was currently laying on Aziraphale's chest, staring up at the beautiful, clear sky above them. He was... working, technically, but he had finished doing repairs a while ago and no one had told him to come back to the center soooo...

Boyfriend time.

A few of Aziraphale's eyes turned to look at Crowley now, would he ever get used to those? Probably not. "Serious answers? Dear, you know I can't answer every question you have about God and Heaven, yes?"

"It has nothing to do with that."

"Oh, alright, ask away, love." Aziraphale replied as Crowley felt a hand petting at his hair. He was starting to get used to the fact that Aziraphale could just... make limbs if he wanted to, but damn the eyes were still freaky.

He huffed and looked at the nearest one. "Okay, like, you've been around for a very, very long time, right?"

"Yeeesss...?"

"Have you ever met any cryptids?"

Aziraphale made a humming sound, as if in thought. "You mean like Bigfoot?"

"Yes! Any of those! Are they real?" Crowley needed answers, he needed to know for sure. After all, he was dating a giant angel monster, fucking Mothman had to be real, right?

"Yes." Aziraphale answered, and Crowley grinned. "I've met rather a lot of them in my travels around the continent. There is a bit of a rapport between myself and beings that are mysterious and nearly otherworldly, but I don't consider myself as part of their little group."

"Who have you met?"

"I've met many."

"No, no, tell me the big ones!"

Aziraphale shifted and Crowley gripped onto what he assumed had to be chest hair of some sort. "I don't know what you mean."

The human pouted. "Alright, let me list off a few. Bigfoot?"

"I have met many of their kind, they keep to themselves. There are a few that live in this park, actually, during the summer."

Crowley looked shocked and then he grinned. "You let me know if you spot one, I've got to met a Bigfoot! Okay, uhhh... any lake monsters? Like the Flathead Lake one?"

"There are a number of lake monsters I've encountered over the centuries. Including the lovely one you all call Nessie. She would rather be left alone and not bothered by people, but it is a tourist destination, so it is so hard to avoid."

Crowley was surprised to hear that Nessie was real. "Mothman? Met him? Is his ass as perfectly tight as the statue shows?"

Aziraphale made a confused noise. "I don't understand."

Pulling up his phone, Crowley looked up the Mothman statue and showed it to the closest eye. Aziraphale scoffed. "Oh please, he wishes his rump looked like that. Besides, you have a nicer one than he does in real life."

"Oh please, angel, I'm flatter than a pancake." Crowley grinned. "But thanks anyway."

"I know what I'm into, dear boy." A hand formed under Crowley and gave him a squeeze, making him jump.

Crowley shot him a look, his face warm now. "Cheeky. Anyway! Uhhh... thunderbirds?"

"Have not seen one of those in a while, but yes. I do believe I was mistaken for one ages ago when I decided to fly in my human form."

"Aliens?"

"I've met people not of this world."

"Fuckin' amazin' to know those freaky things are real. Uhhh... okay, let's do monsters now! Demons?"

Aziraphale snorted loudly. "Seriously?"

"Just want some confirmation here!"

"They exist, Crowley."

Crowley grinned at this. "Alright, uh, ghosts?"

"I think so? Hard to tell with souls."

The human nodded, laying back down. "Werewolves?"

"There are a large variety of those that exist, my dear. I have met a few of them, some of them are quite nice once you get to know them."

"Hot. Vampires?"

"Same as the werewolves. Some of them are very attractive, though I think that is just part of their condition of being vampires."

Crowley grinned even more at this. "Oh, that's really hot."

Aziraphale shifted, his massive head now seeming to look at Crowley. "I feel like I'm being used to check off your attractive monster list, dear."

"Noooooo... maybe." Crowley laughed when he was given a small shove. "Okay, maybe some of them. But what about jackalopes?"

Aziraphale sighed in annoyance. "Oh, those are a scam. Same with furred fishes! And most merfolk!"

Crowley nodded, mentally taking notes on all of this. He really should get back to work, or call in to ask what else he needed to do, but this was much more fun, and much more entertaining.

--

I'll leave it up to you who our favorite angel has met.

[userblaney]

racism rant part 23456786543245

the double standards are through the fucking ROOF. it actually makes me want to fucking strangle someone. if i get called 'racist, and anti white' for saying that white ppl cannot experience racism and get held back when i have another lesson????? then a pasty ass dude call me, the n word (im fucking brown anyway) IN FRONT OF A TEACHER?? AND NOT FACE ANY CONSEQUENCES??? and if i report them?? i'm 'mistaken' and hes 'just uneducated'??? number one. educate them?? number 2. thats unfair???? these incidents happened when i was 14 btw. but do u know what is even more painful?? when ppl 100% know what they are doing, what theyre saing and the meanings of theyre actions and consequences. im talking about higher ups, teachers, slt members, shopkeepers, all that. it makes me so fuckING MADDDD. im in a class with one of my friends. she has a pretty noticeable indian accent bc she yk. moved here from india less than 2 yrs ago?? but her english is perfectly understandable. yet this bitch (ofc middle aged cishet white man) decides to pretend he has no clue what shes saying. anD PROCEEDS TO MOCK HER??? the audacity he has. hes also called me the saddest and most awkward person ever for waiting for him to fimish his converstaion. which ok yeah i am, however if alex (white kid) waits for him to finish his convo before asking something. hes polite and well behaved and praised like crazy. its not much but its very worthy of a fucking boot in the face. and if i report him?? im disrespectful. ofc i am. its jus banta inni. cant u take a joke? NOT IF ITS FUCKING RACIST I CANRT. oh yeah dont even count the number of times ive been called paki. another huge thing, im sure poc would relate to (specifically 1st gen immigrants) is being underestimated like fucking CRAZYYY dont even lieeee. when i was in primary, i was rlly good at readinf so like everytime i had a sub or wtvr yeah theyd always b like omg ur english is so good!! no shit i was born here. ur accent is rlly welsh omg i thought itd be different!! no shit i was born here. do you understand what that means?? yeah dw. my personal fave is one where ur doin sumt wrong or zoned out like ill give u an example. the local co op makes a queue for the skl kids since its right by our skl and i was waitin once bc i had to get milk n eggs on my way home innit then. i had a major migraine so i was zonin out all day and i happened to zone out while second in the q. then i was allowed in then for abt 30 secs i dint realize, then atp someone nugded be from behind so. i went in. then the security guard asked me if spoke english??? even tho id spoken to him on previous days bc im a rlly regular visitor???? anyway long story short, id been called a 'fuckin immigrant' but yeah. i'm just mad bc how can ppl who we are supposed to trust treat us like that and thing thats ok????? yeah its nutn new k bye

[howtofightwrite]

Q&A: A preventable Tragedy (Children and Firearms)

There seems to be a trope that when a child plays with a gun they end up shooting themselves or someone else. But how about writing when they do so, can they hurt themselves because of recoil or got their fingers caught in the slide? That never tends to happen, but that is totally possible right? Or at least combined with shooting themselves/someone else? Though I can get recoil/slide injuries being ignored and waysided by the seriousness of getting shot.

That’s not a trope, that happens. Roughly thirteen hundred children die from gunshot wounds in the United States each year. Somewhere just under six thousand are treated for (and survive) gunshot wounds. Now, only about 6% of those deaths (and, I assume the injuries as well) are accidental (the rest are a mix of homicides, suicides, and assaults.)

There are a non-trivial number of non-self inflicted, accidental firearms injuries and deaths where the shooter is a younger child.

If I seem hostile, here’s my problem, this isn’t “a trope,” this isn’t, “a plot contrivance.” This is something actually happens in the real world. Much like drunk driving, it is something where it tends to be more lethal in fiction than reality, and I’m fine with that.

Much like drunk driving, these shootings occur, more often than not, from adults being irresponsible, and there is a serious possibility that someone will end up dead.

Note that I did not say the victim’s parents are responsible. In the US, roughly 40% accidental firearms deaths occur at a friend’s house. (Strictly speaking, I’m being a little more general with this, the exact statistic is 40% of unintentional shooting deaths in the 11-14 age bracket.)

So, what do you do? Secure the gun. Do not “just” hide it. Hiding is insufficient, as roughly 3:4 children know where those firearms are concealed in their house.

Securing a gun means, get a gun safe. It doesn’t matter if you have a handgun, or a full arsenal. Get a safe. This goes beyond just the risk of a child getting their hands on the gun, as it also protects the firearm from theft.

Get and use a trigger lock. Yes, this is a belt and suspenders kind of situation, but it doesn’t hurt to do both. Especially if your safe is combination locked.

Store the ammunition separately from the gun, and keep that secure as well. This is just basic gun safety, but still. Also keep your ammo in a cool, dry location, as cartridges tend to degrade over time if subjected to humidity and temperature extremes.

Go by what the TSA says: If it fires a projectile, it is not a toy. That includes 6mm airsoft, 4.5mm air guns (including BB guns) and paintball. These are not toys, and there is a real danger of permanent injury from mishandling. (Fun trivia, I have actually checked an airsoft pistol through airport security. It was treated like a live firearm. I had to fill out all the paperwork, and storage had to comply with TSA regulations.)

Do not assume that a child will not play with a gun, or that they, “know better.” They will play with it. Guns are mistaken for toys in roughly 16% of accidental shootings where the victim is a child.

I said, I’m okay with shootings like this being presented as more lethal than they are in fiction. What I’m less okay with is the disproportionate representation of this as, “accidental shootings.” Most of the time, when a child is shot, they either did it to themselves intentionally, or were intentionally shot by someone else. As I mentioned earlier, only about 6% of firearms deaths among children arise from accidents. The scenario where a kid is playing with a gun, and doesn’t realize it’s not a toy is vanishingly rare. More often, and horrifyingly, they use the gun as designed.

Stepping away from kids entirely, there are a number of minor ways you can injure yourself while operating firearms.

The firearms community has the wonderful term, “Beretta bites,” which refer to injuries on the thumb, resulting from having the slide recoil into that digit during firing. (This will happen with most semi-auto handguns if you try to keep your thumb on the hammer while firing.) Usually, this refers to a specific pair of chunks taken out of each side of the thumb, and it’s immediately recognizable.

In most cases, these are going to be minor injuries. The kind of cuts you’d either allow to clot on their own, or throw a bandaid over. However, in some cases, these can be deep enough to requires stitches.

I’ve never seen anyone get scuffed from having their hand up by the slide during firing. Generally speaking, you’re not going to put your thumb up next to the ejection port simply because of the ergonomics. The way most handguns are designed, it’s more comfortable to put your thumb in line with your index finger. (If you do pull it back, you’ll end up behind the hammer and we have Beretta bites.) Your index finger and the side of your hand shouldn’t be near the slide, because your index finger would be on the trigger. (Technically, you could pull the trigger with your middle finger, but I doubt many inexperienced users would preferentially do this.)

It is possible to injure your offhand if you hold the gun incorrectly. There’s a lot of potential grips here, where, someone who didn’t know what they should hold onto could be hurt. Weaver and Teacup are the most likely grips, but those are pretty safe. Someone trying to emulate what they saw from John Wick could actually mess up their stabilizing hand by wrapping it around the slide. (Don’t do this.)

It’s also possible to snip your fingertips when the action is closing on some firearms. Dismantling some firearms can be hazardous if you’re don’t know what you’re doing, and I can think of a few handguns that can open up your fingers during reassembly, if you don’t where to put them. (Though, these are all pretty rare, and most of these are associated with disassembling the gun for maintenance, something that an inexperienced user is unlikely to attempt.)

Beyond that, it’s quite easy to burn yourself on a recently used firearm, if you don’t know which parts are safe to touch. (The severity of the burn will scale based on how hot the gun got, and how long contact persisted. This isn’t a serious medical issue in most cases, but you can easily suffer minor burns without much effort.)

It wouldn’t happen to a child, but you can pinch your fingers when you’re loading a magazine into some models of firearms. If the mag’s floorplate sits flush with the base of the grip, be careful. (The SIG Pro 2022 is on my shit list for the sheer number of times has clipped my pinky during reload. I eventually learned to either point my pinky straight away from the gun during a mag change, or completely shift my grip on the pistol during a reload.) The P99, and USP are both guilty of this as well. Oddly I’ve never had an issue with a Glock doing this to me. Even the 33, which uses the floorplate to add additional grip length (the exact same thing the SP2022 does.) Worth noting, every pistol mentioned in this paragraph has a polymer frame. It can hurt, it can raise a blood blister, but I’ve never had them draw blood from a fast mag change. (Also, for the record, I put an unnecessary amount of power into my reloads, I blame the 1911 I learned on. This is entirely a function of how much force the shooter uses when inserting a fresh mag.)

Shell casings can end up in unpleasant places. Again, you’re not likely to suffer serious injury this way, but you can end up with burns if it becomes wedged in your clothing, especially if the gun was under heavy use. (It’s the same thing, the risk of a serious burn is almost non-existent, but it can happen.) The only incident of scarring I’ve ever heard of from shell casings came from a service member who ended up with spent brass wedged under their armor in combat. That said, I have had a Ruger M9 knockoff throw casings at my eyes with enough force to damage my glasses. Eye protection is important.

One final consideration of injuries that absolutely can be sustained is hearing loss. Even under ideal circumstances, if you’re not using any ear protection around firearms, you will suffer some damage, and experience symptoms like ringing and headaches from prolonged gunfights. Again, if you’re going out on the range, wear ear protection.

One final danger can be easily overstated, but is worth remembering. Failure to control recoil on fully automatic firearms. There was a famous incident on August 25, 2014, where a 9 year old girl, at a Nevada shooting range lost control of a 9mm Uzi killing Charles Vacca, her shooting instructor. I’ve run across a handful of other similar stories over the years, including a military instructor in a former Soviet state, where one of his recruits had been messing around with his AK, lost control of the recoil and put a round through his head. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, seriously, full-auto is not a toy. It can be fun, but it’s not something you should ever hand to an inexperienced shooter. The risk something going wrong (however minor) is significantly higher.

If you get shot, triage isn’t going to care if you’ve got some minor bruising on your hand. That won’t kill you. There’s a lot of minor injuries that you can sustain from operating firearms, in most cases these don’t even rise to the level of complaining about it in the moment. If you’re bleeding it, clean it and throw something (sterile) on to stop the bleeding. You don’t want the chemical residues getting into the wound (even if it isn’t particularly dangerous.)

Of course, if you’re shooting recreationally and injured, stop and deal with it. Don’t just ignore it.

If you have kids, and you have firearms in your life, you need to take steps to ensure that you keep them separate, and the kids do not get access to the guns except under your direct supervision. It is your job to educate them.

At the same time, it is also vitally important for you to know if your children’s friends have access to firearms. Like I said, roughly 40% of children who are killed, die at a friends house. With that in mind, it is reasonable to require those weapons are properly secured and stored.

So, the short answer is, yes, adult or child, you can suffer minor injuries from operating a gun as intended. You can also hurt yourself in a multitude of ways that have nothing to do with being struck by a bullet.

-Starke

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Q&A: A preventable Tragedy (Children and Firearms) was originally published on How to Fight Write.

[pocketfulofrecs]

It's Friday and we're here with another Author Spotlight!

It’s impossible for you to be in this corner of fandom and never have heard of Vir_Abelasan. She has written some of the most interesting Wangxian fics we have read, a shade darker than usual, but so engrossing. When we want to read something a little savory, we go back to this author.

She has written 49k words in 5 fics, and we can’t wait to see what else she will come up with.

Her fics:

It’s we that you are for - [explicit | 2.5k | LWJ/WWX/LXC pwp]

to be wielded by your hands (our post) - [mature | 3k | competence kink]

Visitations - [mature | 18k | wip | modern au - corporate espionage]

Like stones on an unseen board - [not rated | 11k | dark lan wangji]

Symmetry (our post) - [mature | 13k | dark sizhui]

Dee’s favourite: I love Symmetry but my favorite happens to be Like stones on an unseen board. I have a special fondness for dark LWJ who is just as devoted to WWX as canon LWJ is. This fic has the potential age difference and teacher-student relationship but they don’t really get together in it. I like that, I like how LWJ recognizes how Jiangs are dimming WWX’s light and does things to get WWX away from them, even if it involves manipulation and subtly widening the divide between the Jiangs and WWX. Dark in a way that eventually benefits WWX.

Ju’s favourite: Ohhh I loved Symmetry. I loved to see JC getting his just deserves by Sizhui. The fic is very dark, and in many moments I was completely blown away and so angry. I love when reading makes me feel things, and I felt a lot of things reading this one. But as dark as it gets in some points, it makes sense in the story. And then we get a happy ending that is so good and perfect. Made me cry.

The Interview:

Q. When did you start writing fics? Did you have fandoms before this one?

A. Somewhere around the early 2000s with the Buffy the Vampire Slayer fandom, and BtVS was very prolific with crossover, which just led to more fandoms, mostly Western TV series. I wrote a lot of the Dragon Age trilogy afterwards, and a lot of Pacific Rim before finding MDZS.

Q. What made you start writing for MDZS?

A. Honestly at first I was here for the porn, because the Wangxian porn is bountiful and tender and exquisite. But then I read the novel and was enamored with how much more nuanced everything was, especially the many recurring themes and motifs related to social classes and personal vs familial/communal responsibilities, which as an Asian person you don't often get to dig into in the oftentimes Western-leaning fandom spheres.

Q. What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

A. In the MDZS fandom it's Symmetry, because it's literally the fic I wanted to read upon completing MDZS but was not able to find. One of the saddest thing in canon for me is the lack of consequences for any of the gentry cultivators' actions in the past, and while it's realistic to the world building, I just really want an alternative where someone could go around an inherently broken system and make it so perpetrators actually pay for their crimes and less people in general becomes collateral.

Q. What’s your favourite type of fics to read?

A. Smut, because I'm just really bad at writing it. And oh, how the MDZS fandom delivers - Pure smut, sad smut, painstakingly tender smut, existential smut, it has everything! But Wangxian smut in particular is almost always a treat because there's just always that undercurrent of trust and having a person who's just for you in every sense of the word despite everything else happening. It's such a good, affirming feeling.

Q. What’s your favourite comment? Or type of comment?

A. Any comment is always a delight! From just incoherent screaming to details of which lines spoke to them the most, every comment is a reaction and stories are out there to create conversation in the first place.

Q. What motivates you to write?

A. Writing has always felt like problem solving to me, and fanfics in general has always been really interesting to write because there's the inherent conflict and problems written into canon, but also the matter of the fandom's perception of the source material to play with and solve.

Q. Who’s your favorite author?

A. There's so many fanfic authors throughout the years who are just amazing and hit a lot of very profound places a lot of published works didn't go to, so it's really hard to choose just a few. But thank you, every single fan author out there, you've really made a lot of people's days (and lives) better with your writing.

Q. What is your favorite trope to read and/or write?

A. I'm particularly fond of the trope of characters who are normally amicable or accommodating just going apeshit, both literally or figuratively. Because both in fandom and in real life, kindness and compromise in someone are often mistaken as a free pass for others around them to be terrible.

Q. Do you have any advice for new authors?

A. Write what you feel strongly about, I guess? And it's sometimes helpful to have an objective to the whole thing, for the times when it seems the story is going nowhere or you get stuck in a particular aspect of it. Sort of like a thesis statement, so whenever you fumble you have something to refocus on.

Q. What do you think is the most important element in writing? Plot, characterization, relationship?

A. Characterization carries you a long way since they're the vehicle to bringing the readers to where you intend them to be, but I also feel like structure helps a lot with stories too. Just the way you scaffold a narrative, like laying down the kind of path you want your readers to follow and experience along the way to the end.

~

Check out their stories on ao3 and remember…

Comments and kudos feed the author’s soul.

[noodledragon]

21, 28, 31, 49! for two of ur choice!

OWO thank you!! I think I will choose Falspar and Sen…father and son…because no matter what they say their similarities and differences are not where they think they truly lie

These get a bit rambly but hey we love a good stream of consciousness—also heavy alcoholism implication in q 3 cw

21. Do they have a temper? Are they patient? What are they like when they do lose their temper?

Falspar is too conditioned to have a temper. Sardonically put, he has the worst case of Eldest Daughter syndrome in existence, except he’s the avatar of an ancient, dramatic deity who has fallen into obscurity. For a long time was the only thread of humanity connecting Nalta to survival and humanity, thus was a crutch. He’s not truly out of touch with his feelings, but it’s more like he’s observing them in an art museum and can only pontificate. He used to be angry when he was a young immortal, and he should be angrier now than ever before, but his love of people and life and simple pleasures from tea to the shade on a hot day by the sea keep him quite patient. That’s not to say he’s not dramatic and animated, though. The closest comparison he has to losing his temper is at the threat of his family. While he used to lose control of his mighty divine powers, he can now channel that defensive fury into protecting his sinews to mortality. In summation, like long lived creatures such as elves, temper becomes a concept more than a reality to Spar.

Candid emotions are one of the few possessions Sentan has managed to hold over decades of loss, torture, and abject suffering. Calling his rage a temper is like calling mourning a lost loved one a bad day. It’s not fleeting anger, it’s a pain he has and will always have to endure. It’s divine, it’s righteous, it’s calculated and efficient. But his exhaustion following is often mistaken for complacency or even patience, though it has become true patience in his wise middle years, he just hasn’t come to accept that yet.

28. What is their biggest fear? What in general scares them? How do they act when they’re scared?

Falspar: Entrapment and losing autonomy

Sentan: Loneliness and abandonment

From a less abstract standpoint, Falspar embodies his role as a Protector when fueled by fear. Danger to the vulnerable under his wings frightens him. Sen protects but in a more explosive, less calculated way. He is more likely to respond to his fight or flight when afraid of the elements, especially if one or the other benefits the safety of the group.

Sen also has severe trauma from his 3 years captured by angel hunters, and that lingering fear and anxiety sits with him as he lies awake, when he dreams of his son, of his father being captured, when he wishes to sing but can’t, he feels that fear of permanent torture and siphoning of his life force.

31. Do they drink? What are they like drunk? What are they like hungover? How do they act when other people are drunk or hungover? Kind or teasing?

I have very old unfinished art that is kinda relevant—

Before his wife died, Spar was a wine snob and a fun drunk. A hard partier, truly, but a lively one. He turned to the bottle in the loss of his life partner of nearly a millennia…and in turn all but entirely destroyed his relationship with his young teenage son.

Some can rehab and resume drinking falling so hard, but it now tastes so foul to the former sommelier. It tastes of bitterness and loss, pure loneliness. As someone who has total fear of losing autonomy, he cannot afford to lose control of himself. Virgin mimosas are fun to make for friends anyway, he says—

Sen watched drinking destroy his father faster than any disease could ever hope to accomplish, watched him become a ghost of a man until he ran from home at age 17. That kept him far away from strong drink for years, as hard as it is to do so on the high seas. Life was going good after many years, and he had brief encounters with his rehabilitating father, seeing that they just might make it through this, although nowhere near the strength and closeness they had before. However, like father like son, tragedy striking like lightning to a rod, he was driven to drink. Nights of hedonism made Sen feel alive. He never used it to cope, but nights of reckless drinking often brings him a lot of trouble and an unfortunate target for pranks. Plus he’s an absolute lightweight so rip

49. What is their most valued object? Are they sentimental? Is there something they have to take everywhere with them?

Spar’s is The Divine Vestibule, colloquially known as Nalta’s Shoebox. It’s the one physical doorway to the subdimension to Naltanya’s Realm, where followers’ souls go when they sleep (both regular sleep but also after death jdjsjd).

Everything Sen carries with him after escaping capture is of extreme sentimental value. His tattered shirt was once the tunic he wore during his deck top wedding ceremony. His red cloth belt is from his mother. His holy symbol, his wedding ring—its all important to him and he wouldn’t be opposed killing to protect it all. He never leaves anything behind or in the care of others.