Character Interview with Rowan Baros

[Rowan Baros]

personal ​

what is your real, birth name? what name do you use?

“Rowan Kylie Baros. That's all there is to it. I don't have any cool reasons for the names either, just Rowan, just Kylie and my Dad's last name was Baros. Elsie at least got Mom's middle name, but what did I get? Nothing, nothing cool. Honestly it's such a shame. Wish I had a cool name. Also, another thing, Kylie is like an Australian name, or whatever. I'm American, so it makes even less sense. I mean, do you know any Kylies? No? Because they all live in Australia, which, if you ask the internet is a total sham anyway. Yeah, everyone in Australia is an actor, it's nuts apparently.”​

do you have a nickname? what is it, and where did you get it?

"I have a couple of nicknames actually depending on who you ask. Most people just call me Rowan, or Ro, but Elio likes to elongate my name like Roooooooowaaaaaaaaan. It's cute. My name is really too short to be working too much about nicknames. It's only two syllables. Another reason I should have had a cooler name."​

what's your real birth date?

"I was born on the 12th July in 2035. We were morning babies me and Elsie, we were twins so shared a birthday."​

what one word best describes you?
"Callous... I wish I could use another word, but it would probably be a lie, I'm incredibly callous. Don't tell Elio I said that."


what is your most prized possession? why do you value it so much?

"My sister's Artbook. I value it because it's her, in essence. There's nothing more her in the world than a thing that literally captured her thoughts and feelings... I also have my camera and a letter Elio wrote to me, though I don't think he knows I kept it and if you tell anyone I'll dig your grave myself.”​

what do you bring with you everywhere you go?
“My wand of course! No witch or wizard is complete with out it. But I usually also bring my Elio.”


what's the most useful thing you own?
“Hard to say really, I own a lot of super useful things. Maybe my wand? It's probably more useful than all the other things and it's a bit like a multitool! Once you've learned how to use it properly of course.”


what's your good luck charm?
“Elio.”


what do you like about yourself?
“That's a question I've been struggling to answer about myself for years to be honest.”


what don't you like about yourself?
“The rest.”


what's the biggest realisation you had about yourself?

“That I was in love with my best friend despite everything we'd been through. I was convinced I was incapable of being loved, and when he told me he loved me back, it validated me in a way I never expected, like, yeah, I do exist and I am worth it. Though I still struggle to this day with all of it.”​

what do you need help with most often?

“Keeping myself in check. I can go off on a collision course with everything in my life and never quite notice. I need help with making sure I am disciplined enough to go the distance”​

what's something nobody knows about you?

“I'm actually really, really scared of bugs. I don't like them at all. I know as a vegan that's counter intuitive, but the fact still remains that they're creepy and they're crawly and they could crawl all over me and eat my eyebrows or something and I certainly don't want to wake up to one on my pillow, gross.”​

appearance

​

what do you look like? be as descriptive as possible

"I am tiny. I am very small, both in stature and overall size. I've very easy to pick up and carry around, you can ask pretty much any of the boys in my life. I say boys because I'm not sure they know what a grown man is. But this is the sort of thing you have to become accustomed to when you're barely five two and the rest of the people in your life are six foot or above. Most of the time when I sit on chairs, my feet don't touch the ground. I have blue eyes and brown hair, though I used to dye it blonde a lot and I still do on occasion, now it's mostly brown."​

how do you dress most of the time?

"I do have a small variety of styles I employ. Mostly it's little shorts - denim mostly - with a crop top or singlet of some sort. I like little woven jackets that I tend to make myself and I wear boots or little soft toe flats, or ballet flats are quite popular too. I also have a number of small sun dresses in blues, yellows and orangey pinks that I can pair nicely with a nice hat. I have a lot of little skirts too and during the colder months I'll wear a hoodie - usually one I've nicked - and skinny jeans."​

how do you 'dress up'?

"Hm, that's a pretty good question, similar to any girl really. I wear make up all the time, but I like to put extra care and effort if it's for a special occasion, you know? I'll break out the wings and my good masc. I usually wear nice dresses for dressing up, or some nice fitting dress skirts, but, it depends on the occasion, I've got a pretty versatile wardrobe."​

how do you 'dress down'?

"Pjs. Sweats and a tank, that sort of thing. Anything that doesn't require a lot of effort, but, it still takes a lot of effort to appear effortless, you know that right? If a girl tells you she didn't try too hard or she just threw on any old thing, she a liiiiiiarrrrrrr."​

if you didn't care at all what people thought of you, what would you wear?

"The same stuff, I think. Probably a lot more of Elio's hoodies."​

do you care about fashion?​

"Extremely. I care so much I throw out all my old clothes after a couple of years because I know they'll never come back in."​

does fashion help society in any way?

"Of course! Fashion is the pinnacle of creativity for some people. It doesn't matter how it comes, just how it does and as a photgrapher I can definitely appreciate the subtle science of a gentle shift."​

what is the most embarrassing piece of clothing you own?
"I don't think I own any embarrassing pieces of clothing."


what do you wear when you go to sleep?

"I do have pyjamas actually, though I think everyone forgets since I started sleeping in Elio's hoodies. I only have three, though, so I have to alternate between them and sometimes I just forget and just wear it all day. I get a bit lazy sometimes."​

do you wear any jewellery?

"I wear a lot of jewellery. I have a belly piercing along with several ear piercings, a nose piercing and I wear a lot of rings, bracelets and necklaces."​

in your opinion, what is your best feature?

"I honestly couldn't say. My smile maybe? Since I got my braces of half way through my last year in school and all."​

how would you like to look?

"I like the way I look for the most part, if I changed now it would be weird and the one thing I really hated about my appearance, I fixed."​

lifestyle​

where do you live? describe it: is it messy, neat, avant-garde, sparse, etc.?

"I live a pretty spartan life style at the moment, since I do a lot of travelling, it's hard to keep track of personal items."​

what is the best room in your house? why?
"Bedroom, it's the comfiest."


where do you get most of the decorations for your home?

"I pick them up along the way as I travel. It's a bit like a base camp of sorts sometimes."​

where is the most beautiful place near where you live?

"There’s a beautiful lake that Elsie and I used to go to all the time before she died. We used to love watching the sun set and I would take really cool staged photos of her admiring the dusk or the dawn, depending on when we went. I haven’t been back there since she died though, I’m just not sure I could. Maybe one day though.”​

do you like things to be carefully planned or do you just go with the flow?

"Generally, I’m a planner, always have been a planner. But after Elsie died I started embracing the spontaneity a little bit, because I thought about how much she loved to just see what happened and go with the flow. I planned an entire sweet sixteen around her, and look what happened? Nah, spontaneity all the way I feel. Well, for certain things."​

do you own any pets? if not, would you like to?

"I do! Capri is my cat, she used to be super close to Elsie but she seems to have settled for me now, which is great because I have several other animals as well that I look after. I don’t call them pets, more companions or friends. Matilda, the duck and also a mini pig called Pringle. I love all of them."​

what would be your perfect weekend?

"Oooh, it's so hard to say. I've had a few pretty perfect weekends. I think the most perfect weekend would just be nothing. Really. My ideal weekend would be somewhere cold, so I can curl in some blankets in front of a nice fire and be all warm and cozy. No distractions. Maybe some really nice music that I could fall asleep listening to. I wouldn't be alone, there would be nice food that had been prepared earlier and flowing conversation about... everything, I think. I'd like to talk about the future and my plans for later in my life. No pressure, no expectation and no stress. Just really low-key. I could catch up on the sleep I've missed too. That'd be pretty sweet."​

are you a very organised person?

"I really am. I used to be a huge planner so I developed really good organisation skills too, but I'm a bit more spontaneous now. I'm still really organised though. Someone has to be.”​

how often do you stay up past 3 a.m.?

"It was really common when I was younger, but its not as common anymore. It still happens on occasion when I'm really busy or I just can't sleep for whatever reason.”​

how do you make yourself fall asleep when you can't seem to get to sleep?

"When I can't seem to get to sleep, it's usually because there's something on my mind which is stressing me out, or worrying me, or something. I find talking about it usually helps. Failing that, two words. Bubble. Bath.”​

where do you spend most of your free time / day?

"Travelling at the moment. I'll settle somewhere more permanent one day, but I want to make a lot of memories before I can't anymore. If there's one thing that I really took from my sister's death, it was that time never stops for anyone, and if you want to make the most of your life, you have to always be moving. You can't afford to just sit still and do nothing. So I don't stay in one place for too long anymore. Maybe I never will."​

can you apparate? how do you prefer to get around?

"I can and I do often. I got off to a rough start when I first learned, but if you splinch yourself enough, you get over it pretty quickly. I just take Dittany with me everywhere and be done with it."​

do you tend to save or spend your money? why?

"Oh I'm definitely a spender. It's terrible. I'm always buying clothes or make up. I might be travelling the world at the moment but there's no excuse for sloppiness."​

what are some red flags to look out for in daily life?

"It's hard to say. Are we talking relationships? I'm not an expert and... I've certainly had to deal with my own behaviour regarding it, but, I think some of the biggest red flags are inability to function outside one's partner and a total lack of communication and I don't just mean talking to each other, but comprehending as well. I've struggled with both of these in the past and I still do, but I think it's important you learn to keep yourself accountable, because no one's perfect and trust me, that was a difficult lesson to learn. And I'm still learning it.”​

 

[Rowan Baros]

family​

what was your family like?

"My family is pretty chill. We've lost a lot over the years, but we manage. We were a big family before you counted the cousins, but we've gotten a bit smaller over the years. Well, we've also grown a bit in different ways as well. We're all really close, since we've had to be. We were always pretty close though, but tragedy brought us together more, so it's still difficult, but I love my family and the only thing I would change was bringing my sister and dad back. But I can't do that."​

who was your father, and what was he like?

"My Dad's name was Wyatt. He was incredible and I loved him. We were pretty close, you know, not unlike a normal father-daughter relationship, but he'd always been closer to Elsie. And Zennon. We disagreed on a lot of things as I was growing up, but it was always really stupid stuff. I think one of my biggest regrets in my life was never getting to tell him how much I appreciated him. It's because of him I'm like I am. A lot of my little eccentricities came from him, my love of dance, my stubbornness. I miss him every day, but it gets easier with each passing moment. I see more and more of his influences in my life, and... it's quite comforting actually. I loved my dad."​

who was your mother, and what was she like?

"Mom's name is Nadine. She and I get along really well, we have a similar sense of style and fashion. I look like her the most I think. Elsie took after Dad and so do Zennon and Grace to be honest. I take after Mom more, especially as I get older. She encourages me to live my life how I want and it's a good relationship. We don't see each other as much as I would like, but, I write all the time, and I sent her photos of whatever I'm doing. She has a couple of pictures of me climbing a mountain or trying to introduce more animals into Elio's life. I always worry that she's by herself, but she's strong. I know she'd hate me to put my life on hold for her. She's one of my hero's."​

what was your parents' marriage like? were they married?

"My parents had that kind of magic relationship you only see in fairy tales. It was always something that made me cringe in disgust when I was little because who wants to see their parents so in love? I certainly didn't understand it when I was younger, but having more experience now, I can understand a bit more what it must have been like for mom to lose dad. We all lost people close to use that day, but mom lost more than most, I think. My relationship to my dad and to Elsie could never compare to the love my mom had for my dad or for her daughter. If I lost Elio, I honestly don't know how I would go on. Losing Elsie nearly killed me and she was my twin. Elio did so much for me back then, I can never repay him for the rest of my life. I never wanted to get married, and I still don't know if it's something I would want... but if I did, I could never settle for anything less than what they had. It would never work out if I did."​

what were your siblings' names? what were they like?

"I have a few older siblings, Lukas, Isaak, Azalea and Zennon. When we were younger we didn't spend a lot of time together because there was an age gap. I don't really see them as much as I would like, because we're all doing our own thing, but we're much closer than we were. After Elsie and my Dad died, we came together to grieve as a family. We realised, I guess, that nothing was more important than family and so we made more effort to spend time together. We try to do holidays a lot more than we used to. Lukas is generally pretty busy with his life, but he comes when he can. Isaak is getting pretty famous with Quidditch, he's an amazing Chaser. We go to his games if we're in the area, me and Elio. I was never really into Quidditch, but I like to check up on my brother and we get some pretty good seats if we manage to get there, so why not, right? Azelea is busy with her own family. I was pretty surprised when she got married because I was never sure she ever would, but, she did, so there's a bunch of little Baros babies running around, though, they aren't Baros' by name of course. I don't know all that much about the guy she married, but he seems alright. We don't have a lot to talk about so we tend to stay out of each others way. I only really see him when we're doing family stuff. Zennon of course is busy as ever. I can't imagine being a healer is an easy job. I was so proud of him when he followed his dreams despite everything. He almost gave up at the end. After everything that happened, it was really hard. His last year, my sixth year, it was a mess. With Dad and Elsie, his son with Sam, all the other responsibilities he had on top of working at his NEWTs and of course he had to worry about me and Grace all the time too. I can't understand how he managed it all. I look up to Zennon a lot. He's another one of my hero's and honestly I don't think I could have done what he did in that position. He did so much and he still doubts himself. It's so crazy to me. There's been set backs of course, but he takes them in stride. He's amazing. Elsie... is was is my twin sister. Even though she's been gone for a while now, she's still my twin sister. I don't have another one. She was amazing and losing her broke me. It broke me completely. I wasn't myself for a really, really long time. I'm still not... though I think some of it is for the better. I really matured when I lost her. In some way I think she enabled me a little bit, because I knew I could go to her with anything and she would always be there. There was no reason for me to grow up. Saying it now, it feels weird thinking about what my life would be like now if Elsie was still in it, but, that's how it is. My life without my twin. I had to compensate. I think I've done that successfully, but I guess I won't really know for a few years yet. It still hurts of course, but, it's the kind of pain that motivates me to be better and live on in her memory. Do things she would have wanted to do, and live a life she would have been proud of me for. Never stagnant, ever changing. She inspires me even now. Gracie is my youngest sister. I love her more every time I see her. She was only a kid when we lost Elsie and Dad. She was just starting school. It's strange to think how much things have changed in those years. I never would have imagined my life this way, but here we are. Grace is strong, she had to be I think. We accidentally dropped the ball with her a little. I was so caught up in myself and Zennon was split fifty different ways and constantly stressing out about a bunch of things, Gracie didn't really have anyone for herself. She had to grow up too fast and I apologise every day to her. I love her, but we certainly didn't tell her enough back then."​

when's the last time you saw any member of your family? where are they now?

"I consider Elio my family now too, and we're always together. But outside of him, I saw Zennon when I dropped by a month ago. I like to keep moving, so I don't spend too much time in any one place. Zennon understands and he tries to meet me when he has time. It's a bit like that with my whole family at the moment. The only stable one of my immediate family really is Mom. It's such a funny thing. Mom stopped dancing. It's sad... but I understand. I didn't dance at all for a really, really long time. I just couldn't."​

did you ever meet any other family members? who were they? what did you think of them?

"I've seen a lot of my cousins. I make the rounds. Cayleigh and Elsie were really close and she took her death pretty hard. I don't think she's fully recovered, but she's getting there. Cole and the rest of the clan were really good to use after our family tragedy. We Baros' stick together. We are strong when we are united. My Grandpa went through loss like that a couple of times, so he knew what to do to keep us strong and unified."​

what was the biggest holiday for your family?

"I'm not entirely sure. We try to get together at least once a year, when we're all there. Christmas maybe? I tend to do New Year's exclusively with Elio, so I don't see them a lot on New Years. Maybe we'll do New Year's with my family one day. That might be nice. Inject a little Zephyr magic into the festivities maybe."​

childhood​

what is your first memory?

“I have a really, really vivid memory of being about three years old and stumbling into the back garden where Zennon was digging for... something in the dirt. I don't know what, but now that I look back... and now that I know more about Zennon and his parselmouth abilities, I actually think he was digging something for a snake. I vaguely recall there being a snake there now that I think about it. I had forgotten that part, but it recently came back to me and now I think about it all the time. Really, I should have known, but I didn't think about it at the time, obviously, since I was three.”​

what was your favourite toy?

“Ha, I still have it actually. For my fifth birthday my parents bought me this little plastic camera. It was a muggle toy I think, but I absolutely loved it. It was blue and yellow with a purple lens and it took fake little photos. Obviously it didn't take really photos because it was hardly a functional camera, but Elsie and I used to work in tandem and I would tell her what I was shooting and she would attempt to draw it. She definitely improved over time because those initial drawings were... very clearly done by a five year old. It was something we continued over our growth too. I have a trunk full of art Elsie did from my photos. It's part of what got me back into photography after I stopped for over a year. I just couldn't let her memory go, I guess.”​

what was your favourite game?

“When we were kids, we had this game called Rita Skeeter. We had to make up stories about things in the neighbourhood and whoever had the best story would win a prize. The prize was always something really childish, that only kids would value. Like cleaning someone's room for a week, or having to say something really nice about your sibling. We all played it when we were together. Towards the end it was only really Zennon, Grace, Elsie and Me, because everyone else got too old for it, I miss those days the most I think. We'd just run around the gardens and make sh!t up all the time. It was pretty funny. Life was so much simpler back then.”​

who was your best friend when you were growing up?

“Elsie. We did everything together and because we were twins it was easy to explain away any oddness. We were a bit weird for the muggle kids in the area when we'd visit holiday places. I'm still uncomfortable in the muggle world... but Elio's helping me get better. It's a slow process, but I'm doing it.”​

what is your fondest childhood memory?

“I have a lot of fond childhood memories. We went to a recital once, Mom and Dad were on the team and we all sat in the wings to watch them, that was a really good memory, I remember it especially because it was just after Gracie was born, and I couldn't believe mom had managed to get back on stage so quickly. Another one I think was Gracie's fifth birthday. Azelea and the older boys had been a school by then, but they all came back for it and it was one of the last times we were all together with no stress at all. The next year of course Azelea had her exams and stuff and things just weren't the same after that. That's just life though, I think. You take the good with the bad.”​

what is your worst childhood memory?

“I don't have too many specifically bad childhood memories. I had a really good childhood I was lucky, but Dad's accident was just before my second year at Hogwarts and we didn't end up going that year because of it. I was twelve at the time, so technically still a child. It wasn't a terrible memory though because Dad refused to let it stop him, so it's a pretty inspiring memory really.”​

what's your most embarrassing childhood memory?

“The first time I learned boys and girls were physically different. I honestly just don't think about it, it's kind of hilarious now, but it's just best it's never spoken of, much safer for my poor childhood mental health.”​

what did you believe for way too long as a child?

“That chocolate milk came from chocolate cows. I thought brown cows made brown milk and white cows made white milk. Please don't ask me where I thought the strawberry milk came from.”​

what did you like / dislike about where you grew up?

“Nothing really. My childhood home is great. I still go and see my mom as much as I can. If I had to say one thing about it, it was that the house sometimes seemed too small. It got crowded a lot. I don't even really know why.”​

as a child, what did you think would be awesome about being an adult that turned out not to be?

“Simply being an adult. I couldn't wait to grow up and get out into the world. Sometimes reality is not what you think it's gonna be. Learned that lesson pretty hard I think.”​

what were you really into when you were a child?

“Weirdly... I was, like, really into bubbles. I used to love watching the way they hit the light. They'd make this beautiful rainbow when they floated out in the sun and if you looked at it long enough you could see the the lights dancing. I was too young at the time to think about it for a photoshoot, but... now that I'm thinking about it, maybe it would be a good idea.”​

if you could travel back in time, what piece of advice would you give your 10-year-old self?
“Don't get complacent. Life never does what you expect.”

adolescence​

it is common for one's view of authority to develop in their adolescent years. what is your view of authority, and what event most affected it?

"I've never really had a specific view on authority because it's affected people, but I've never had to deal with it too much. I never really did anything that influenced my opinion on Authority and really, when I was at school my best friend was a Prefect, my brother was a Prefect, so I guess I've had an equally good and bad view on it. On one had, I could have probably gotten away with murder - I went into the Forbidden Forest a couple of times and never suffered the consequences, and that made me think about how easy it was to get away with stuff, but also on the other hand, Zennon and Elio did questionable things that they probably should have gotten into trouble for, so I tried not to judge. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way though, I certainly wouldn't have wanted to get into trouble and lose a bunch of points. Especially not in my later years when I was with Elio all the time. That would have provably meant him losing points too, and potentially his badge."​

what were you like in high school?

"Oh I was horrible. Yeah. I think back on it sometimes and realise how much of a b*tch I really was. No one ever called me that to my face mind you, but I remember what I was like, sometimes too well. I was jealous, demanding and horrid to a lot of people and not always to their face. It got a little better in my final year, but, not really by much and still to this day I can be really catty. My underlying fault is still cruelty, but I readily admit that and I'm working on it. Not to mention that I still have control issues coming out of me like a beacon for frustrating people. My need to control things got really bad for a little after Elsie, but once I'd settled down, things got easier, clearer. I'm still not there yet, but, it's a slow process. At least it's happening."​

what were your high school goals?

"I didn't really have any, not until towards the end. The only thing that kept me going for the longest time after Elsie and my Dad died was the bitterness of losing them. I couldn't focus and I was so internalised that days and weeks passed me by without my notice. I don't know how Elio managed. Once I got through that, I realised that I couldn't keep doing it solely for them, I had to do it for me and I had to make myself whole again. So that became my goal. I'm still working on it."​

who was your idol growing up?

"Heh, my dad for the longest time, but also I idolised Zennon and Elio a lot. Zennon because he somehow managed to get through everything he did and Elio... I don't know if I would say I idolised him, specifically, but he certainly means a lot to me. Especially then, since he basically dropped his life for mine. I'll never be able to thank him enough for everything he did. I give him anything he asks to be honest, it's the least I can do for him."​

what is your favourite memory from adolescence?

"The end of my fifth year, Elio, Agnes, Elsie and I hung out together. I didn't know it at the time, but it was the first time I met Elsie's girlfriend, sort of as her girlfriend. Apparently, as I've been made aware, I was the only one who didn't realise this. Shocked the heck out of me when I realised. Or rather, when I was told, because I didn't see it at all. I should have known honestly. I can't believe I didn't. It was a really nice time together too, just us being ourselves one last time before the exams reared themselves. I wish I had known back then, I would have made sure Agnes fully understood how much I appreciated what she gave Elsie. I don't remember seeing her as happy as I did with Agnes. I'll forever appreciate her for that."​

what is your worst memory from adolescence?

"The true loss of my innocence. I could play anything off, really, until Elsie and my Dad died. Everything changed then. I can't decide how I feel about it, because I would be a completely different person today if they were still alive, but I don't know if that's for better or worse. I'll never know, I guess, but I'm a much better person now and I like who I am for the most part, even if this person came from tragedy."​

what still makes you cringe when you think back on it?

"Oh no, my Accio! photos with the braces. Noooooo, I've burned almost every copy of my photos specifically. I kept all of Elsie's old ones, but mine have been thoroughly destroyed."​

who had the biggest impact on the person you have become?

"I think, apart from Elsie, I would have to say Elio. He's always been my answer and he will continue to always be my answer. There was a point in my life where I thought I'd lost him, well, there were a couple of points in my life where I thought I'd lost him, but he taught me something about being spontaneous and living more in the moment. He taught me not to dwell - well, he tries, that lesson hasn't quite come through yet, but he always challenges me to think outside the box and not focus too much on the end result, but on the journey. I love him more than I could ever express in words and believe me, I've tried. Elio's the one person in my life who could feasibly tell me exactly what I was about to think, before I thought it. He's done that to me before. I don't know how and I don't know why, but I'm so glad Elio Zephyr climbed the stairs of Astronomy and into my life."​

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if you could travel back in time, what piece of advice would you give your 16-year-old self?

"Just do it. You know you want to. Don't let your hesitation and anxiety get in the way. Make mistakes, trust your gut. Don't over think it. There's always a new day. I wish someone had said that to me then, though I can't say if I would have heard it."​

 

[Rowan Baros]

wants, ambitions, & fears​

how ambitious are you?

"I don't really think I'm all that ambitious. There are things I want to do, of course, like everyone, but I've never thought of them as being specifically ambitious before. I wan to travel the world and stuff. Nothing too ambitious. There's a reason I was a Gryffindor and not a Slytherin."​

what is the craziest, most outrageous thing you want to achieve?

"I think I'd like to be a mom one day. And it's crazy because I don't know if I would make a good one and after everything my mom went through with us, with Elsie, I feel like I would be way too much. I don't know how our parents manage. It must be terrifying to bring a child into the world and be responsible for an individual with their own thoughts and emotions looking up to you all the time. Wanting answers to questions you want to know yourself. Thats why it seems so crazy and outrageous to me, but I think that's what I want... maybe one day, who knows."​

what are some goals you have already achieved?

"I graduated from Hogwarts. It was questionable for a while if I would. I considered dropping out for the longest time, but I realised it was something I had to do, just so I knew I could. I never thought I could go on without Elsie, but I keep proving myself wrong every day. Everyone always thought I was the strong one, but it was always Elsie. I just have to find my strength too."​

what do you hope to achieve in your professional life?

"I'd like to win awards for my work. I don't know if I want them in galleries or not, my photos, but some recognition would be nice really. Just some admiration of one's work. There's a photographer in England I like, Preston Portraits, he makes some lovely portraits. I don't want to do portraits because I find them really boring, but I would like some recognition, someone to look up my photographs one day and want to be like me. It would be so cool."​

have your parents influenced what goals you have?

"Not in the way you might think. They influenced me by encouraging what I was doing and such, and they encouraged our individual creativity, but, I don't think they tried to influence me in a specific way or anything. Maybe if they had I'd have more direction in life, but at the moment I'm kind of going with the flow, which is totally fine of course."​

do you usually achieve goals you set? why or why not?

"I can absolutely, with total and complete certainty, so no. Most of my goals never come to fruition, because I try not to worry about them. Whenever I make a plan it never seems to actually work out. Some of them were pretty lofty and others were complete nonsense, but I try not to become too wrapped up in them. I like the sort of casual vibe I have going on lately and goals would ruin it. In saying that though, I also have what I like to call anchor goals, so they're the ones that never change. You don't have to do it right away, but its a bit like a bucket list, you'll get there in the end. So for me, one of my anchor goals is to take a photo on every bridge in the world. No idea if it's achievable, but it's one of my goals I'll work towards my whole life. Maybe I'll achieve it, maybe I won't but it'll be an exciting adventure whilst I try."​

what is the best way to stay motivated and complete goals?

"I try not to worry about them too much. Not all goals have to have a time limit. Obviously there are some that do, but for the most part, they really don't need them. Just go with the flow. If you hit it, be happy, if you miss it, try again. It really is that simple. There's no big secret."​

what are some goals you have failed to accomplish?
"Pretty much all of them. But I try not to worry about it."


what are your goals for the next two years?

"I want to take a photo inside a volcano. I haven't managed to find a decent site yet, but I'm absolutely still looking. I also desperately need to find someone willing to actually let me into the mouth of an active volcano. I figure if I find a magical guide, I can apparate out if things go South. But it would be a great prize for my collection of ridiculously dangerous photographs... the collection of which will have been started by the photo I take inside the volcano."​

how have your goals changed over your life?

"They haven't really, because I never had that many goals as a kid and only really worried about them as I got older. I suppose they've become somewhat more realistic and grounded in what I would actually be capable of achieving, whether long term or short term, but other than that, not much."​

what are you currently worried about?

"I worry about my family a lot, I worry about not having much direction in life other than an end goal I'm not too sure about. Sometimes I wonder if I'm making things difficult for those I'm around, but, I think what I most worry about, is losing myself in my search for the better version of me. People say the search to find yourself is a dangerous path that many fall off of and lose themselves, well, I've done that enough times already, I'd rather not have to suffer through that again."​

when was the last time you felt you had a new lease on life?

"I constantly have a new lease on life. But the biggest change for me was after Elsie died and I had to become a completely different person... or, maybe not had to, but I did anyway."​

what languages do you wish you could speak?

"I'd love to speak Dutch. I'm terrible with languages and can barely manage a few simple sentences. Other European languages would be nice too."​

what would the box with all your hopes and dreams inside look like?

"It's hard to say, because I'm not sure what the implications would be. I think it wouldn't be very ornate, maybe quite plain. A wooden box maybe? I don't have anything to hide anymore, so I don't need to worry about it being flashy to distract people from it's purpose, but I also don't know if it would suit as a plain wooden box either. Maybe something a bit more... authentic, like wand wood. Something aesthetically pleasing with a nice pattern. I like white, specifically pearl white, so maybe some pearl white twisted into the design on the top of the box? Assuming it opened up and not out, like a music box, I think there would be pink on the sides, symbolising Elsie and Elio's favourite colour is purple and I think that would be woven into the white on the top. I think anything that influenced my life would somehow be covered in the box, or, on it rather, because a lot of my hopes and dreams would have to do with that. Maybe it would be made out of Cherry wood. It's a sturdy wood and also the wood of my wand. I put too much thought into this, clearly."​

what is the silliest fear you have?

"It's not a fear exactly, but... I guess I have a healthy respect for the way the world works and that anything can happen. I've learned that lesson a number of times now, and I have a healthy respect and fear of whoever is calling the shots upstairs, because you just never know when it might be your end."​

what makes you nervous?

"I'm not really a nervous person, but what makes me the most nervous, is when people say things they don't mean, and its's weird because it's like, why are you saying it? Are you covering for something else? Like they walk up to you and you can tell they want to say something and then they come out with something that doesn't at all suit the kind of vibe they were giving off walking up to you. It makes me nervous because I wonder what they might be hiding."​

what kind of things embarrass you? why?

"I'm not easily embarrassed anymore. Used to be, so easily. But I grew out of that phase a bit, though... I haven't grown in height at all and Elio can literally just walk by and lift me up with one arm. But that's more fun than embarrassing, though it is a bit embarrassing when he has to help me reach something. Who needs a step stool or magic when you have an Elio? Besides... I like watching him reach for things... is that bad?"​

in what situations do you wish you could put on an invisibility cloak and disappear?

"A couple of years ago I would have had a lot of answers for this, now... I try to face things more head on. I don't bury my head in the sand and pretend it doesn't exist like I used to. Things would probably be simpler if I did, but I wouldn't have grown either, so I took the more challenging option, I think. Besides, invisibility cloaks aren't all that."​

what do you fear is hiding in the dark?

"The absence of love and trust. These are two of the most important emotions for anyone. The absence of which would break most people, I think."​

interests & hobbies​

what hobbies do you have?

"I have quite a few hobbies now. Some I've had since I was a child, but I've developed more as I've gotten older. Obviously photography is the main one, I don't go anywhere without my camera since it's my job too. I like photography a lot because of what it represents for me. I had a lot of issues with it when I was younger and it helped facilitate my control issues, but, these days its more about the focus and the capture. I don't plan them like I used to. Of course there are still inspirations and ideas, but now I let it come to me instead of going to look for it. At school I stopped photography for a long time, because I thought I shouldn't be allowed, that I was punishing myself by indulging in something I loved and I let that happen for a really long time. Passion never leaves you though and it wasn't long before I found myself needing to express my emotions and my thoughts through my photography and, in a way, they became much more personal and intimate. I still prefer not to be the subject of photos, but.. I'm getting over that too. You have to when you have Elio Zephyr in your life, taking photos at every opportunity. I swear he's got some hidden somewhere that show me in such an unflattering light, but he knows if I found them they'd disappear. It's probably for the best I don't know where they are after all. Some of my other hobbies are dancing, poetry, cooking is a bit of a new one, I've had to get better at that. I also really got into Astronomy when I was at school, but not the science stuff, just the cool aesthetic of it and it's great for photos. I also took up Divination again, mostly card reading. Bit of astrology too. I don't know why, I just find it helps if I'm having a particularly bad day. Cartomancy was something I was really into, so I'm happy I'm getting back into it, though I can't say how good I am or not but it's not like I'm a seer and I don't live my life by it. I just... use it as a source of inspiration and courage sometimes on bad days."​

what are some misconceptions about your hobbies?

"People think it takes special skills to do poetry or photography and all that sort of thing, but it really doesn't. You just need to believe in yourself and have an imagination. Trust me when I say, it's all in the way you view your own work. Not everyone agrees, but if you love what you do you can't go wrong."​

what do you find most relaxing? (not as in stress relief, but as something that actually calms you down)

"I like to dance if I'm feeling particularly pent up, because you can move your body fast or slow depending on your mood. If you're angry, faster more violent movements can help you cool off. If you're sad, than slower more controlled movements can help calm you and free your mind. It's always worked for me."​

what are you interested in that most people aren't?

"I don't know really. The only people I talk about this sort of thing with are really close to me and I can't tell how wide spread it is without a bigger sample size, you know? I like little things, bubbles in the sun, water droplets after a rain, the beach at dawn, not dusk. I don't know if those are interests or have anything to do with the question, but that's my answer. That's my inspiration and it's what I love most."​

what do you think you are much better at than you actually are?

"Uh... I think I'm amazing at cooking. I absolutely am not. I'm only decent at it, but I like to think I'm the next Jamie Oliver or Julia Child or something."​

where do you get your news?

"I don't. Unless it's personal, I don't want to know about it. I stopped reading the Daily Prophet after the elections. As long as I know who the current Minister is, I don't care about the rest. Personal news I get from my mom."​

what outdoor activity haven't you tried, but you'd like to?

"Base jumping seems like it would be so much fun. I have a long list of things I would love to do, lots of things with rock climbing, bungee jumping and oh, I would love to go sky diving too! It would be so amazing. I don't really have anyone to go with me though, and it's not really something I would want to do alone. Maybe soon though, who knows."​

what's your secret talent?

"I can do a pretty spot on impression of a dolphin. You'd be forgiven for thinking I was secretly a fish out of water... of course Dolphin's aren't fish. Forget I said fish okay, they're not fish, they're mammals."​

what topic could you spend hours talking about?

"There's a lot of things I could spend hours talking about. Photography, my work, my family. But I don't tend to get too involved in conversations like that these days. I like to keep moving, keep busy. It's just the way I like it."​

are you very active or do you prefer to relax in your free time?

"A little bit of both. Of course I like to relax, but being active is important too, especially with all the travelling I do. I like to be out in the middle of no where, walk for hours to my destination and sleep where I fall. Sometimes of course I'll be in backpackers hotel and stuff, but they still require stamina. You need to have stamina to travel like that and being active is an important part of that too."​

what is your guilty pleasure?

"Cheesy romcoms. Can't get enough of them. Books, movies, anything."​

what do you do to improve your mood when you're in a bad mood?

"Bubble bath and wine with some lovely music."​

what are you best at?

"I can talk myself out of anything. Also into anything. I'm good at talking to myself really."​

experiences​

what's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?

"Watching someone talk about something they love. I never really thought about it before, but, I get out a lot more now, I talk to people. I see what they love and I talk to them about it. You can get some really beautiful images when you do that. It's natural, but its framed, posed, captured. One true moment of beauty that takes your breath away. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."​

what's the funniest thing you've seen a child do?

"I once saw a very small child stick an entire wand up their nose pretending to be a walrus. It was hilarious at the time... and now I think about the implications I realise how much of a terrible idea that was. Kid could have seriously hurt himself."​

when did something start out badly for you, but in the end it was great?

"There's a lot in my life that started out badly and ended up being great. The entirely of my sixth year for example. Probably the best example I'm willing to talk about."​

what did you think was going to be amazing, but turned out to be horrible?

"My sixteenth birthday. It was the day my dad and sister died. I don't celebrate my birthdays anymore, not like I used to. I prefer to spend the day with no plans. Sometimes I flick through Elsie's art books though, remember the days she was still alive. I like to keep the day free incase... incase I can't handle it, you know?"​

what's the best / worst practical joke you've played on someone, or someone has played on you?

"I don't play practical jokes on people. Not the sort of ones that can go badly. I don't believe in it because it always ends horribly."​

what's the most ironic thing you've seen happen?

"My cousin once almost choked to death on a lifesaver. More like life enders. "​

what's the funniest thing you've done or had happen while your mind was wandering?

"I'm actually, like, really clumsy. If I don't pay attention, I fall down a lot. I get bruises from he amount of times I've fallen up or down stairs."​

when was a time you acted nonchalant but were going crazy inside?

"There have been many, many, many times. I try to act like I'm not a jealous b*tch, but I am. Merlin, I can't help it. I can't give you specific circumstances because all of them are like, really personal, but it's safe to say this is almost always the case."​

what's the most awkward thing that happens to you on a regular basis?

"I literally always forget when I'm due for my next period. Every time. It's almost predictable I'm going to forget, so you would think I would just assume."​

what's a common experience for many people that you've never experienced?
"I can't think of anything."


what's the most anxiety inducing thing you do on a regular basis?

"Wake up in the morning. Sometimes you just have to take it one day at a time and I'm getting better each time."​

when was the most inappropriate time you burst out laughing?

"This doesn't tend to happen to me, I'm usually pretty good. If it ever did happen, I've mentally blocked it out."​

what story you've heard has stayed with you and always disturbs you when you think about it?

"A friend once told me a story about something that happened to him when he was a kid. He didn't go into too many details of course, but I got the gist. Pretty terrifying stuff. It explains his personality so much though, and I've come to understand him so much better. I don't think about what he told me a lot, but when I do, I just want to cry."​

when was the last time you stayed up through the entire night?
"Yesterday? What day is it today?"


what's the most physically painful thing you've experienced?

"Broke a rib whilst dancing once. Damn, that hurt. Almost punctured a lung, but it didn't thankfully. You don't think about how much that sort of thing will hurt until it happens. You can't take a deep breath without feeling like you're being crushed and if you move too much you can knock it out of whack again. Merlin, I didn't think I was ever going to breathe properly again."​

what's the most emotionally painful thing you've experienced?

"Elsie's and my dad's death. I still haven't completely recovered and I'll never get over it, because you don't just get over things like that but, yeah. Emotionally one of the worst things I've ever experienced in my life. The other thing was when I thought I'd lost Elio. In fifth year. I thought I would never recover from that either."​

what was the most amazing magical feat you've ever managed to pull off?
"Still surprised about Elio, to be honest. I'm sure I've managed to enchant him or something."


where is the most uncomfortable place you have slept?

"Curled up in a ball on the floor in the corner of Elsie's room. I happened to sleep in her art corner and on all of her paints and materials. I'm sure I found glitter and paint in places it shouldn't be for days after."​

where and when was the most amazing sunset you've ever seen?

"So far, on top of a mountain. But I'm ready and waiting to find more and for them to be better each and every time I see them."​

where is the the worst place you have been stuck for a long time?
"My own head."


has anyone ever saved your life?
"Yes. Everyday."


what was the best time period of your life? what do you think will be the best time period of your life?

"Right here, right now. I've come out of the worst time of my life, and I managed to survive. I proved I can to anything I set my mind to. I proved I can be who I want to be and not just what was expected. I prove to myself every day that I am a survivor and that I am brave. I'm doing the things I've always wanted to do with people I always wanted to do them with. What more could I possibly want out of life?"​

 

[Rowan Baros]

opinion​

what annoys you more than anything else?

"Oh my god, okay, so you know when you have those people in an elevator and you ask them to hold the elevator and they just watch you and do nothing? Yeah, them, also the annoying guys who hold the door open for you for like five minutes and you feel like you have to do it at a run, also the little old grandmas in the express side of the aisles at the shops, also parents who let their children scream about everything, also people who are just taking up all the space and standing around just talking and not moving on and also like this little prepackaged mixes in ramen, it's not vegan, stop it."​

what habit that others have annoys you most?
"People coughing into their hands. Use your elbow for goodness sakes."


what makes you roll your eyes every time you hear it?

"Smile. Only one person is allowed to tell me that. And that's because he genuinely wants me to be happy and if I don't smile, he does things to try and make me."​

how do you judge a person?
"Too quickly, to be honest."


what social stigma does society need to get over?
"Heck, there's a lot. But labels is a big one probably. Who cares what someone is or isn't, just let them be."


what's something people don't worry about, but really should?
"Their health and the environment. Everyone should be vegan."


what's the silliest thing you've seen someone get upset about?

"I don't think it's fair to judge others emotions like that. I think everyone's gotten upset over something silly and really, unless you know what's going on in someone's life, you don't know what they're going through. Maybe something really bad has happened and something you think is silly is just the catalyst for the rest. Having experienced that myself, I'm a little more wary of it."​

what's the most annoying noise?
"Badly played bagpipes."


what odd smell do you really enjoy?

"Nail polish. I don't know if you would consider it an odd smell, but it's definitely something a lot of people don't like and I love it. Maybe it's because I use it a lot, I don't know, but I love he way it smells, especially when you open a new bottle for the first time."​

what's something that everybody knows is true, but nobody likes to admit?

"We have no idea what we're doing. We simply don't. We think that we've figured out how the world works and what we are supposed to do with our lives by now. In fact, we are following the rest of the herd, just because everyone else does and because that strategy worked fine for our parents and grandparents. The truth is we don't know what we're doing. Our herd has no idea where we're going. Sure, every now and then we ask ourselves tricky questions (Why are we here? Where are we going? Who is going to clean this mess?) I could write about this for hours, but it can be summarized simply. We have no idea what we are doing. Period. We don't talk about it, but we know it well. Be super cautious of anyone who tells you otherwise."​

what's something that people think makes them look cool, but actually has the opposite effect?
"Smoking and being rude. It's completely unnecessary."


what were you completely certain of until you found out you were wrong?
"That I would one day attend my twin's wedding as her maid of honour."


what do you think you do better than 90% of people?
"I don't think I do anything better than ninety percent of people... maybe cheer Elio up?"

social​

who is your oldest friend? where did you meet them?

"My oldest friend is Elena. I met her at the beginning of my first year of school at eleven. It's certainly been an interesting journey for the two of us."​

who is your closest friend? describe them and how you relate to them

"Elio. We're, well, we're a lot of things, really. We don't put labels on our relationship because it's always changing. Some days he's the love of my life, other days he's my best friend, once or twice a year he's the most annoying person I've ever met and occasionally he's my hero."​

who is your worst enemy? describe them and why you don't get along
"I don't have enemies. That's so childish."


what types of places do you hang out in with your friends?

"That's a tough question. I move around a lot, I don't tend to stay in one place for too long because it gets tricky when you're travelling. But we like wide open spaces where we can just do what we like, we also love tiny little hole in the wall places, the kinds of places only locals know."​

what qualities do all your friends have in common?
"For some reason, vanity seems to be a quality I attract. I don't know why."


what benefit do you bring to the group when you hang out with friends?
"My invaluable wit?"


what nicknames do you have for people in your life?

"I don't really do nicknames too much. Sometimes I call my brother Zennon, Zippy, and he knows he needs to drop everything and ask me what's wrong so I can tel him. Mostly I don't really have too many nicknames that aren't just for private and personal use."​

what's the craziest conversation you've overheard?
"Nothing really. I tend to be too focused on myself."


how comfortable are you speaking in front of large groups of people?
"I'm not really, though I'm getting better."


who do you wish you could get back into contact with?

"Vegeta Arai. I'd like to know what he's up to now. We never got along much in school and I had a lot of trouble forgiving him for things after Elsie died. I would like to apologise to him now and know what he's doing in his life. Also Agnes Norgaard. I haven't spoken to her in a long time, I'd like to see what she's up to as well."​

who did you once look up to, but they screwed up and you lost faith in them?
"No one, really."


who is the most manipulative person you've met?
"Elio, but in a nice way. He can get me to do just about anything... It's a bit mutual though."


what are some of your pavlovian responses?

"I always immediately give myself a pat down whenever I go outside incase I've forgotten something, like my wand. Even if I just need to grab something really quickly, pat down. I also say sorry whenever I've accidentally knocked into an inanimate object or something."​

what in your life brings you the most joy?
"Elio."

morality​

what one act in your past are you most ashamed of?
"The way I ran out and left Elio at the dance in fourth year. I think about it all the time to be honest."


what one act in your past are you most proud of?
"Telling Elio how much I love him. Even though I was scared, I did it."


what was the last argument you were in? with whom, over what, and who won?

"I don't argue seriously. A lot of little silly ones though and most are with Elio. Though I did get into an argument with a Ministry Official who refused to let me have a portkey. Yeah, he won that one. I was terrified he was going to cancel my visa or something."​

what's the dumbest thing someone has argued with you about?
"Shoes."


have you ever been in a real duel before? with whom, over what, and who won?
"Nothing outside of duelling in school."


what do you feel most strongly about?
"Elio."


what values are most important to you?
"Just, sticking to your morals and not backing down. Even if it's against me."


what do you pretend to feel strongly about, just to impress people?

"I used to pretend to care about things, now I don't. If I don't care, I'll tell you. I've had enough of lying in my life. I lay it all on the table."​

who do you go out of your way to be nice to?
"Service workers. Sometimes their jobs really suck."


how often do you help others? who do you help? how do you help?
"It depends. I don't go out of my way I guess, but if I come across something and I can help, generally I do."


what trait do you find most admirable, and how often to you find it?
"I don't know to be honest."


do you have any feelings in general that you are disturbed by? why do they disturb you?
"Nah."


what's the worst thing that can be done to a person? why?

"Breaking them. It's so easy to do if you know someone. It's horrible because of what can come from it, you're literally hurting them. Why would you want to?"​

what's the worst thing you could actually do to someone you hated?
"Make them love you."


are you a better leader or follower? why do you think that?

"I'm definitely not a leader. I don't try to be either. I've always been the person who needs a leader. I'm not very charismatic and I think some people would be put off by that."​

what is your responsibility to the world, if any? why do you think that?
"It's my responsibility to do what I need to do and be myself. I think that's everyone's responsibility."


what do you do to make the world a better place?
"I don't know. I try to educate people sometimes, if I think they're willing."


is it okay for you to cry? when was the last time you cried?
"Definitely. I cry all the time. Sometimes there's, sometime's there's not."


if you couldn't be convicted of any one kind of crime, which criminal charge would you like to be immune to?
"Theft. I'd break all the animals out of farms... is that theft or B&E?"


when was the last time you were snooping, and found something you wished you hadn't?
"I don't really snoop."


when was the last time you yelled at someone?
"Yesterday."


how often do you curse?
"Used to a lot when I was younger. Don't really anymore."


what was your most recent lie?
"I don't lie. Or, like maybe a white lie. I think I told someone I liked their shoes when I didn't."


when was the last time you immediately regretted something you said?
"Constantly."


what are some of your vices and bad habits? which would be the hardest to give up?
"Wine."


what habit do you have now that you wish you started much earlier?
"Constantly cleaning the lens of my camera."


what's your best example of fake it til you make it?
"Fake being happy until you make it. Spent second half of sixth year and a lot of seventh like that."


have you ever saved an animal's life? what about a person's life?
"I always save animals lives. I don't know so much about people."


what is your definition of evil?
"Causing pain for the sake of pain."

 

[Rowan Baros]

relationships & romance​

how old were you when you went on your first date?

"It really depends on what you consider to be a first date. Technically, I was fourteen, but the other guy, Elio, did not realise that's what I thought it was."​

would you consider yourself straight, gay, bi, or something else? why?

"I guess, technically I'm straight, but I'm not just attracted to guys. I need more of a bond, like an emotional connection to feel attraction. I don't just see a cute guy and think they're attractive... that's demisexual? I think that's the one. "​

have you ever had a same-sex experience? who with, what was it like, and how did it go?
"Nope. Not really all that interested in it either."


do you currently have a partner? what is their name, and what is your relationship like? what are they like? Why are you attracted to them?

"I'm not quite sure I know how to answer this question. I mean for the most part I think it's a yes? But it really depends on what kind of definitions you're working on here. Elio and I are close, he's my everything. I couldn't imagine myself in a world without him again. When we were in school there was a moment where we weren't together and it nearly killed me. I couldn't go through that again. He helped me so much with Elsie and my dad, he's my rock and the person I trust completely. I can't really explain why, Elio. All I can say, is just because he's Elio. That's all I've got."​

what is the perfect romantic date?
"Curling up in bed with a hilarious movie, lots of food and a good bottle of wine. What? I'm not fancy."


describe the perfect romantic partner for you

"Someone who knows me, sees me for what I am and loves me anyway. Someone who knows how to help me stay calm, brings me a bottle of wine when I'm sulking in the bath, or makes sure my bubbles don't dissolve in the water. Someone I can trust to always tell me the truth even if it will upset me, but to be there if it does. Someone who has seen me cry but doesn't judge me, and helps me feel better if they're the cause. They will be able to tell just by hearing me speak that I'm really not okay, and help me take my mind off it. They are willing to risk it all with me, and follow me to the ends of the earth, just as I will do the same."​

do you ever want to get married and have children? when do you see this happening?

"I've thought about it for sure. The kids I mean. I don't know if I would ever get married. It sounds to complicated for the kind of relationship I currently have. It's too final. If I ever got married it would be to someone who was everything to me, because I couldn't settle for less than that. Kids though, that's a little different. You can have children as a single parent, or with a trusted friend for example. I think I'd like to be a mom one day, but I couldn't say when it would happen though. If ever."​

what is more important - sex or intimacy? why?

"Intimacy. Not everyone likes sex, not everyone wants it, but everyone can find it, intimacy is everything. You can have a relationship without sex, you can have sex without a relationship, but you can't have these without intimacy. It's the most important thing in the world to me."​

what was your most recent relationship like? who was it with?

"Since relationship, is a very broad term - I'm still in my relationship. It's the most recent and the longest. Elio and I do everything together and we don't let anyone define us."​

what's the weirdest crush you've had?
"I am so not answering this question."


what about the opposite sex confuses you the most?
"Lack of emotional understanding. How hard is it to grasp, honestly?"


what's the worst thing you've done to someone you loved?
"Left him."

work & education​

what was the best thing about your school?

"I actually really enjoyed living in the dorms. It was nice to be close to people, but not at the same time. I never really managed to become close to my roommates, but I enjoyed having them around regardless."​

what or who has taught you most of the information you use on a regular basis?
"Elio. For my job. He taught me a lot of things regarding photography that I never thought about before."


do you have a job? what is it? do you like it? if no job, where does your money come from?

"Yeah, I work freelance photography. I love it. I really couldn't imagine doing anything else and I certainly never want to have to work behind a desk."​

what is your boss or employer like?
"I'm my own boss. I'm pretty fantastic if I do say so myself."


what are your co-workers like? do you get along with them? which ones don't you get along with?
"They're really more silent partners."


what is something you had to learn that you hated?
"I'm not sure off the top of my head."


what's the weirdest thing that has happened to you while working at your job?
"I had a sheep headbutt me in the the butt once."


what's the best thing about your work?
"That I get to work by myself. Choose my own adventures and just be whatever I want and do whatever I want."


what's the hardest you've ever worked?
"My OWLs and NEWTs."


when was the last time you worked incredibly hard?
"All the time really. Even with loving my photography, I have to work hard."


when do you want to retire? what do you want to do when you retire?
"I don't know if I ever want to retire."

philosophy​

what is your personal philosophy?

"I don't really have one, I don't think. Not one that I think about enough for it to come to mind. Generally I just think everyone deserves respect and that includes animals to me. It's why I'm a vegan. Is that a Personal Philosophy?"​

what does it mean to live a good life?

"I think being a good person helps. I think it's important to live how you want, but not harm others in the process and to forgive yourself if you make mistakes along the way. I don't think it's fair to hold yourself wholly accountable for everything that happens in your life."​

how should success be measured? by that measurement, who is the most successful person you know?

"I don't really know to be honest. I don't think about that kind of thing too much. I think as long as you do something you love, you can't go wrong."​

where does your self-worth come from?
"Yourself. No one else can give it to you."


where do you find meaning in life?

"In life itself. You just have to look around you and see the beauty everywhere. How can you not find meaning in that?"​

is suffering a necessary part of the human condition? what would people who never suffered be like?
"I don't think I've ever met anyone who hasn't suffered in some way. Not everyone suffers the same way of course, but, I think its kind of inevitable. No one can be happy all the time."


would you want to know if you were going to die beforehand, or die without warning?
"I think I'd rather go without warning. Spending time worrying about it would be pretty awful I think."


if you had to guess, what do you think would be the most likely way you'll die?
"I hope when I'm a hundred years old."


is it important to help yourself, help your family, help society, or help the world?
"I think you need to help yourself before you can help anyone else."


how replaceable are you?

"I think everyone is replaceable in some way. I don't that like everyone isn't unique, but when one person leaves your life, someone else enters it. Of course it's horrible when someone does leave, but I look at it a little like this, Elsie left my life... but I gained more of Elio. I don't mean to say that Elsie was replaceable exactly, just that the world has a way. I don't think I'm making a lot of sense, but, yeah. That's what I mean."​

does knowledge have intrinsic value or does it need to have a practical use to be practical to have value?

"I think knowledge for the sake of knowledge is silly. If you're not going to use it, I can't see how it could have a lot of value to you. I think it needs to be useful and have a purpose before you could consider it to be practical or to have value."​

are intelligence and happiness tied together in any way? if you are highly intelligent, is it more likely that you'll be more, or less happy?

"It's hard to say. Maybe if you understood more of how the world worked you'd be less content? But I don't consider myself to be particularly stupid and I'd say I'm pretty happy generally. I think it's both generational and assumptive. You have to assume things are going to go well, and then believe it."​

what right does every human have?
"We all have the right to a good life. Mothers and children, people who are old, unemployed or disabled, and all people have the right to be cared for and loved however they wish."


what's the difference between justice and revenge?
"Justice is legal, revenge, often, is not."

 

[Rowan Baros]

random​

what would a world populate by clones of you look like?

"You mean Rowantopia? What a magical amazing place that would be! Great makeup and facials. Excellent wardrobe. A world full of jealous cows though because they'd all love Elio and there'd only be one of him. Sorry ladies."​

if someone narrated your life, who would you want to be the narrator?
"I don't know. Someone with a really nice voice."


what's the funniest joke you know by heart?
"I'm not really the joker type. I'm more into witty comments and snark."


if you were a ghost and could possess people, what would you make them do?
"Sleep. That's got to be exhausting."


if animals could talk, which animal would be the most annoying?
"Dogs. I love dogs, but they're annoying even without talking."


what's fine in small numbers but terrifying in large numbers?
"Bees."


which way should toilet paper hang, over or under?
"Overrrrrrrrr."


what's the cutest thing you can imagine? something so cute it's almost painful
"Pringle. Pringle in a blanket. Pringle in a blanket in a cot. Pringle in a blanket in a cot next to my bed."


what would be the most unsettling thing to keep finding around your house?

"Hm, not sure. Anything that's not supposed to be there probably. Like one of those horror dolls that keep getting thrown out only for you to keep finding it in your cupboard."​

what's the most boring superhero you can come up with?
"Nonsense man. He talks utter nonsense and bores the villains to death."


time freezes for everyone but you for a day. what do you do?
"Cry."


you have to relive one day of your life forever. which day do you choose?
"There's heaps of days, but probably graduation."


a portal to another world opens in front of you. you don't know how long it will stay open or if you'll be able to get back after you go through. what do you do?

"I like where I am now. I think I'd stay here. As curious as I would be to see this other world. I wouldn't want to risk not being able to get back."​

if you were on the run for a crime you didn't commit, where would you go?
"My mom. She'd know how to help."

future​

when you are old, what do you think children will ask you to tell stories about?
"My photos I hope."


what near future predictions do you have?

"I try not to think about it too much. I have dreams sometimes that I would love, but I don't think I could say they're predictions, or claim to have predictions."​

how much do you plan / prepare for the future?
"I try not to."


if you had to change your name, what would your new name be?
"Something much more magical, like Seraphina or Angelina or Natalia. I like a's at the end apparently."


if you could learn the answer to one question about your future, what would it be?
"Was I happy?"