congratulations q, aquarius is now nolitha “nola” foxcroft with the faceclaim amandla stenberg
APPLICATION
Character Sign: Aquarius
Character Name: Nolitha “Nola” Foxcroft
NOLITHA: “beam of light” | A name of Xhosa origin, the meaning behind their name is clearly different from those of their twin older brothers: Ezekiel meaning “God will strengthen” and Omari meaning “God the highest.” Nola presumed this shift in naming scheme was by divine intervention. Zeke and Omari were more straightforward than Nola; their brothers’ dreams were tangible, their feet ever-pinned to the ground. Stable, solid, zealous but strategic. God was their compass and their futures were mapped. Meanwhile, Nola was a mistral wind, strong but cold, quick but aimless. A spark led by no one and headed nowhere; an uncontrollable beam of light
↳ Note: I chose a Xhosa name because Amandla’s name has Xhosa and Zulu roots. Although I could not find any sources ethnically linking Amandla to South Africa, I find it reasonable that a black mother would choose an African name with a meaning like Amandla’s or Nolitha’s for the significance of it. Furthermore, I went against choosing Xhosa or Zulu names for Nola’s brothers to mitigate any insinuation that their family is of South African descent.
FOXCROFT: “residing beside an enclosure or croft” | This Anglo-Saxon surname is a topographic/habitation name. The reclusive implication of this name is representative of Nola’s reserved (and even enigmatic) nature. Moreover, the connection to a fox is fitting because of their cleverness and independence.
Birthday: 10/02/1997 (x)
Sexuality: Demiromantic Asexual
Gender: Non-binary (they/them)
Moon Sign: Gemini (x)
Faceclaim: Amandla Stenberg
Power: Illusion Projection
↳ Capabilities: “User can create illusions, causing targets to see, hear, touch, smell and/or taste things which do not actually exist or cause them to perceive things differently from what they truly are.”
↳ Use: Believing can be seeing. Nola’s power is about as erratic and enigmatic as they are. They’re highly imaginative and many illusions are created unwittingly from their tangled strings of thought. Until recently, they’d chalked up the strange occurrences and friends’ fabrications to luck and circumstance (maybe even lack of sleep). They’re still getting the hang of consciously creating illusions, but even then, they’re typically smaller things like the scent of expensive perfume or the sight of clear complexion even when they’re at their most stressed. I can envision Nola using this to win people over or have a bit of fun as they already have been.
What do they study? Law. It’s tough enough to challenge them intellectually, while still offering them an ambiguous future career path. (They like to keep their options open.)
Biography:
Nolitha Foxcroft was sunlight through a storm cloud, some sort of miracle so untouchable they could slip through your fingers as subtly as the seasons change. That is to say, their summer heat arrived long before most winters even began to melt into dewy spring. Perhaps that’s precisely why their mother named them Nolitha. A beam of light. A child who’d treat Eden like a playground, but belong there just the same. It was a shame they weren’t born in Eden—or anywhere close to it. Manchester wasn’t so picturesque with empty pockets. Their family knew this well enough for long enough. They were somewhere between lower and lower-middle class, content but never quite comfortable.
Nonetheless, the Foxcrofts were torchbearers of heart as much as they were exemplars of resilience. Dad was a math teacher for at-risk kids, while Mum was a proud community organizer. They found their wealth in giving to others, true humanitarians that made do with what they had. For every flood of job cuts, every frigid winter, every new body the streets sputtered out, Nola’s family was the first to stand up. Rallies, protests, marches, and fundraisers—the Foxcrofts were ever-present and loud with purpose. They were a staple in their community, which may be why they weren’t so determined to up and leave. Here, there was a rhythm they knew they could follow. Here, in tattered Manchester, they would always have a name and a purpose.
Beam of light that they were, that their family was, Nola was never destined to become just another warning tale of inner city youth. A slanted mirror image of their family’s steady strength and spirit, Nola better mimicked the anatomy of a revolution: the spark, flicker, blaze, an untamable wildfire child who lit up their luckless streets with the the kind of breezy, blooming magic no dealer could press or package. They were notoriously too smart or too unsound; too quirky or too reserved; too bubbly or too temperamental. A walking paradox with a glittering smile, they were never too concerned about the opinions of others that it mattered. Nola was perpetually misunderstood, yet somehow universally loved.
The last born after twin older brothers, Ezekiel and Omari, Nola was the prototype of happy-go-lucky, giggles-and-glee youngest children. They were lightning foreshadowing thunder, while their brothers were the roaring thunderclaps reverberating beneath your feet. The twins were grounded and concrete. Nola existed between millisecond-long blinks. Though Nola was the brightest of the three, Zeke and Omari were the ones with drive. Predictably, they set aside university to follow in Mum’s footsteps as activists. Nola had almost done the same. Almost—until they earned a hefty scholarship to Durham University. The opportunity to attend university, and to be able to afford it, no doubt, was one that they couldn’t justifiably pass up.
Five interesting facts about your character:
TW FACT #3 (BUBBLEGUM) FOR MENTIONS OF ANXIETY, MEDICATION, AND SELF-HARM
MIRROR, MIRROR | They take after their mum’s side of the family in their outrageous dedication to superstition. As a child, Nola loved tagging along whenever their mum sought out spirits in her spare time. Dowsing rods, thermometers, candles, magnets and the like were always ready to be put to use, lumped into a tattered cardboard box at the bottom of the kitchen cabinet. The belief in senseless traditions and good luck charms have followed Nola into adulthood. They still make the effort to catch falling leaves in autumn and keep an eye on the salt shaker at the dinner table. Although they don’t have as much faith in it all as they did in their younger years, it certainly makes life more fun.
LITTLE THINGS | Nola loves the feeling of starting something new, and perhaps this is why one of their favorite hobbies is collecting. Not anything in particular; simply, collecting as an activity in itself. They’re quite fleeting about it, non-committal and prone to giving up soon after they’ve begun. It would take more than two hands to count how many half-hearted collections have come and gone, hurtled through Nola’s room like a midnight train bound nowhere. The only collections that have survived Nola’s volatility, and of which they are most proud of, are their weathered jazz and blues vinyls (via thrift shops and flea markets) and sociopolitical buttons (largely via activist older brothers).
BUBBLEGUM | Nola has had generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) since they were a child. Before they were the glittering human embodiment of a shooting star, they were Saturn entrapped by rings of chaos, circling, circling, circling without end. They’ve always been more restless than truly active, but after years of rattling pill bottles and steady coping lessons, the fidgeting is a lot subtler now. Pacing and scratching have become bad habits of the past; these days, Nola’s almost always chewing gum to keep their tensions low. Unless someone is especially perceptive, Nola’s high-functioning anxiety has nearly everyone fooled. Even as a tiny ball of worry, baby Nola was still as seemingly happy-go-lucky as they are today. Bright, bouncy, and bubbly; the perfect extrovert.
IDLE GENIUS | Despite their natural gift of intelligence, Nola has no want for power or money; all they want is heedless autonomy and sheer knowledge and social change. They follow a path laid by optimism and Lady Luck. They are that kid: the one who constantly skips class but still aces every assignment; the one that can speed-write a stellar research paper the night it’s due; the one carefree and confident enough to go out and get hammered the night before the final exam. Nola is a pixie-dusted honeybee, blessed and blithe, and their entire world is neatly lined with freshly-blossomed flowers. All that glitters skims their unburdened fingertips like high tide kissing the coastline; theirs, if only they’d reach out to claim it.
AVANT-GARDE | Imagination and creativity are central components to their personality. Penniless parents led Nola to music and art as their main sources of entertainment. Double-dutch songs on the sidewalks as a child, performing in the metro stations for tips, belting gospel hymns at church, and melting into the jazzy swing of crackling vinyl after school. As a kid, Nola’s older brothers didn’t have to do much convincing to get them to switch from crayons on scrap paper to joining their amateur graffiti brigade. Weekend nights turned into graffiti activism and sneakers pounding across cracked pavement. The Foxcrofts’ murals and protest statements decorated Manchester’s worn trains and warehouses and walls. Nola got quite good at it, and still sketches designs in their notebooks from time to time.
Character Quote: “I’ll slip into heaven through a crack in the wall.”
↳ Theme song at the moment is definitely DNA. by Kendrick: “I got power, poison, pain and joy inside my DNA / I got hustle though, ambition, flow, inside my DNA / I was born like this, since one like this / Immaculate conception.”
If your character had a patronus what would it be? and why?
HUMMINGBIRD: “the sweetest nectar is within” | In nature, hummingbirds are swift and vivacious, always darting from place to place. Hummingbirds represent serendipity, nature’s reminder to seek out the good in life and the grandeur in each day. Despite their small size, they possess a lot of potential and power. Their independence and persistence thrives in the beauty of the present moment. Similarly, Nola seeks to do everything and to do it on a grand scale. When they come up with an idea, they feel compelled to follow it, unconcerned with whether or not it is reasonable. They are constantly thinking, constantly doing, and are fueled by their idealism and self-confidence. Sometimes this can get Nola into trouble because they often leap before they look; however, pure luck is usually on their side.
↳ Symbolizes energy, vitality, adaptability, joy, flexibility, renewal, healing, peace, infinity, agility, and playfulness.
WRITING SAMPLE
“Bullshit! You fuckin’ cheated!” Nola cried out through a fit of dulcet giggles. A million dollar grin was stretched across their face. Their chest felt heavy from laughing too hard. “Best out of three,” they countered. Mischief danced through the cool air. They readjusted their beanie to better blanket their ears, chilled fingers wrapped tight around their can of spray paint. Despite the blustering nighttime wind, Nola was still starving for a taste of victory. But, then again, when were they not?
“All cards on the table this time. Let’s go, hotshot,” they playfully taunted.
Nola’s eldest brother, Ezekiel, leaned against the graffitied wall of the long-abandoned corner store. His breathing was staggered through baritone laughter as his lungs raced to catch up with him. The destitute building was their traditional checkpoint, the final flag at the end of their speed-graffiti competitions. It was a pawn shop at one point in time, before Nola was even old enough to grasp that the world was larger than their family’s two-bedroom flat. Like most local shops in their shadowed part of Manchester, transience was a default setting; nothing lasted and nobody stayed if the choice was offered.
Ezekiel cocked an eyebrow. “Mum didn’t raise you a sore loser, did she?” he teased. Broad shoulders shrugged back, his smirk begging for a challenge as per usual. Though Nola reckoned they picked up many of their self-assured mannerisms from their brothers, where they matched in demeanor, they differed in personality. It went without asking that Nola was the youngest of the three. The baby. The twins channeled their energy into the things that mattered most to them; Nola’s fervor was blind, aimless, and unhindered. They all thrived on victory, but Nola was significantly less concerned with prizes or titles. Winning was their lifestyle.
Nola made a face at Ezekiel’s comment. The can rattled in their left hand as they shook it in preparation for the next round. “Find it hard to believe Mum taught you to be a dirty cheat,” they fired back. Banter was instinctual between the siblings. They wouldn’t want it any other way.
Ezekiel chuckled and began to peel himself off of the shop’s exterior. “Ready, set?” he proposed, body poised to run.
Already bounding into the dark, Nola shouted over their shoulder, “And they’re off!”
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Dream Jobs, Fashion, & Barbie
Originally Posted 1/31/2016
If I had been a more self aware seven year old child, I would have wanted to work for Mattel's Barbie division. - Me
Ironically, I actually had this scheduled to go up Wednesday, but two days ago, Mattel announced new Barbie doll molds. Barbie now comes in curvy, tall and petite.
Barbie was actually the toy I played the most with as a child. I would build her houses with Legos and Lincoln Logs. I liked to change her clothes. I had a ton of accessories from both Barbie brand and knock off toy brands that she could use. Barbie even had a perfume bottle set that was pretty prized and fought over when my friends came to play. I wasn't extremely creative with her story lines, I cared a lot more about her clothes and what fashion packs I could get (or at least stare longingly at in the toy aisle.) I remember that as a kid, I loved green and Barbie just didn't have enough green in their options. So, I wrote them a letter asking for more green. They sent me a standard form rejection letter in response. Way to crush a child's dreams, Mattel.
Barbie and the Crayola Fashion Designer set (that I used through high school) were the two driving reasons why when I couldn't figure out how to get into Video Game design (thank you Myst behind the scenes videos), that I rummaged through my hobbies and dug into my ACT employment test and decided to go to school for Fashion Design. Architecture seemed too math heavy. Writing too risky. (I should have gone for writing. Sigh.)
Now, Barbie in particular has had her fair share of bad marketing and mothers accusing them of creating bad body image in girls. Overall, Mattel has always stuck with the idea that the Barbie Brand is positive because even back when women didn't have careers outside the home (or at least not many of them did), Barbie promoted to girls that they could dream to be anything whether it was a Doctor, a Veterinarian, an Astronaut, a lawyer and I seem to remember Barbies that went to the Olympics. But due to the recent and not so recent push back about 'natural' bodies and 'body positivity' Mattel has finally gotten on board (or at least been pushed by falling sales numbers in the Barbie division) to create different body types.
There have been at least a couple of dolls that tried to promote a more body positive image in a fashion doll. The biggest that I know about is Lammily. Most of Lammily's early marketing was about not being Barbie and how the doll was created on the proportions of the 'average' teenager. And that's what Lammily looks like, average. She's not 'warm' or 'inviting' like the creator wants you to think. She's actually, really pretty boring. Also, her clothes are boring and they don't fit and she doesn't have any shape to make them aesthetically pleasing. See, the creator of Lammily and most the people who cry about body positivity and having 'natural proportions' miss the point of a fashion doll entirely. They seem to think that Mattel and fashion designers and those in the fashion industry don't know that Barbie's proportions are wrong and she's too tall and too thin and has too small of a waist and her bust is too big.
We do. In fact, I think I've sat through at least two classes on this at both universities I attended, one even had a homemade model of what Barbie would look like if she was human sized. It was a bit scary. (Both the proportions and the execution of the model.)
The thing is, we don't care.
First and for most, fashion is a business. Fashion dolls are a business. Fashion itself is around a three trillion dollar global industry. Fashion is about branding. It's about marketing and it's about trend forecasting. In fashion, we know what you're going to do before you do.
Fashion execs and marketers shamelessly use psychology in their advertisements to get the populace to buy their products. We know it's not real. We know it's fake. We know that without photoshop that no one can achieve the proportions of the girls in the magazine ads. We know that catwalk models are 2% of the population in the world, which by the way is the same percent as people who can wear that bright sickly yellow that the human eye sees first! We make ourselves immune to it. We accept that it is fantasy.
The fashion industry and fashion dolls sell a fantasy. That's how they make their living. No matter how much people scream about the models looking anorexic. (They might possibly be or they might naturally just be that skinny.) Or that Barbie if she was human height wouldn't be able to walk because her bust is too big and she's be over six foot eight and she lacks internal organs, if it is going to continue to make the fashion industry and the fashion doll industry money. It's not going to change anything.
Now, I don't really think that Barbie's lack of natural proportions has been the reason her sales numbers have been falling. My recent perusal of Mattel's shopping site left me bitterly disappointed on how boring and normal Barbie looked, even though the clothes fit. They just didn't feel high fashion or even outrageous fashion. (My favorite outfit included a hot pink denim jacket. Oh, the eighties.) There wasn't any fantasy. The fantasy that Monster High & Ever After High and things like Disney's Fairies or the Frozen dolls have. A fantasy that Lammily never had to begin with.
I don't know if these new Barbie dolls are going to change that. It might take quite a bit more than trying to embrace different body types to bring the magic and the fantasy back to Barbie.
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I’m bored, so why not?
200: My crush’s name is: My girlfriend’s name
199: I was born in: Irvine, CA
198: I am really: empathetic
197: My cellphone company is: Verizon
196: My eye color is: Green
195: My shoe size is: 9?
194: My ring size is: Hell if I know
193: My height is: 5′9
192: I am allergic to: Nuts, cats
191: My 1st car was: Nissan Altima
190: My 1st job was: Blaze Pizza
189: Last book you read: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
188: My bed is: Super comfy
187: My pet: I have two betta fish
186: My best friend: My girlfriend and my other best friend
185: My favorite shampoo is: Whatever gets the job done
184: Xbox or ps3: Gameboy
183: Piggy banks are: Somewhat useful
182: In my pockets: I carry everything I own, when I’m wearing my EMT pants, which have 9 pockets!
181: On my calendar: Is all my homework
180: Marriage is: Cool if you find the right person and have realistic expectations
179: Spongebob can: Disappear
178: My mom: The reason I have PTSD
177: The last three songs I bought were? Ricochet, Dark on Me, Air Force Song
176: Last YouTube video watched: Marijuana by John Oliver
175: How many cousins do you have? Hell if I know
174: Do you have any siblings? Yes, one step sister and two younger siblings
173: Are your parents divorced? Yes
172: Are you taller than your mom? Yes
171: Do you play an instrument? Yes, guitar
170: What did you do yesterday? I took a trip to the city to buy a new uniform
[ I Believe In ]
169: Love at first sight: No, but I believe that your souls can recognize each other on first sight, which is a breeding ground for love
168: Luck: Yes
167: Fate: Somewhat
166: Yourself: Hell yeah, even when no one else does
165: Aliens: It’s possible with the size of our universe
164: Heaven: I believe we go some place nice when we die, but I don’t believe it is segregated into heaven and hell; we all deserve to find peace if we did good things in life
163: Hell: I don’t believe in hell either, but I believe there will be some type of temporary punishment for genuinely bad people; I have no power to tell who a bad person is though
162: God: No, we have morality born inside us and the power to do amazing things; we don’t need a God for that
161: Horoscopes: No
160: Soul mates: Yes; I believe that souls can know one another and be meant for each other
159: Ghosts: Maybe?
158: Gay Marriage: Fuck yeah
157: War: It is useless and a waste of life and resources
156: Orbs: No
155: Magic: I wish I could
[ This or That ]
154: Hugs or Kisses: Kisses
153: Drunk or High: High
152: Phone or Online: Online
151: Red heads or Black haired: Black
150: Blondes or Brunettes: Brunettes
149: Hot or cold: Cold
148: Summer or winter: Winter
147: Autumn or Spring: Autumn
146: Chocolate or vanilla: Vanilla
145: Night or Day: Night
144: Oranges or Apples: Apples
143: Curly or Straight hair: No preference
142: McDonalds or Burger King: McDonalds
141: White Chocolate or Milk Chocolate: White
140: Mac or PC: PC
139: Flip flops or high heals: Flip flops
138: Ugly and rich OR sweet and poor: Sweet and poor, like I am already
137: Coke or Pepsi: Coke
136: Hillary or Obama: Obama
135: Burried or cremated: Cremated
134: Singing or Dancing: Singing
133: Coach or Chanel: No preference
132: Kat McPhee or Taylor Hicks: No preference
131: Small town or Big city: Small town
130: Wal-Mart or Target: Target
129: Ben Stiller or Adam Sandler: Adam Sandler
128: Manicure or Pedicure: Manicure
127: East Coast or West Coast: East Coast
126: Your Birthday or Christmas: Christmas
125: Chocolate or Flowers: Neither, bring me fucking normal food and I’ll be happy
124: Disney or Six Flags: Disney
123: Yankees or Red Sox: No preference
[ Here’s What I Think About ]
122: War: It is ridiculous that we kill to make peace
121: George Bush: Dumbass but better than our current president
120: Gay Marriage: It should be no different than other types of marraige
119: The presidential election: *Drinks an entire bottle of whiskey before I’m able to answer this question*
118: Abortion: It is a woman’s right to decide her future, including whether or not she will have a child
117: MySpace: Forgot it existed
116: Reality TV: Idiotic and slightly entertaining
115: Parents: I have mixed feelings on this one because my parents are polar opposites
114: Back stabbers: Petty
113: Ebay: A more expensive and competitive version of Amazon
112: Facebook: The thing that everyone has and no one really wanted in the first place, but its there anyways
111: Work: Can be nice if you do something productive and that you are passionate about
110: My Neighbors: I never really see them
109: Gas Prices: WAY too high
108: Designer Clothes: Too expensive but I can appreciate that they look good sometimes
107: College: The most expensive thing on this list; Great concept; Shitty exectution
106: Sports: Receives way too much of my college tuition
105: My family: Most of them are great people
104: The future: Hoping for the best, preparing for anything, loving every minute of it
[ Last time I ]
103: Hugged someone: A few minutes ago
102: Last time you ate: A few hours ago
101: Saw someone I haven’t seen in awhile: A few days ago
100: Cried in front of someone: A few weeks ago
99: Went to a movie theater: Last Tuesday to see PowerRangers
98: Took a vacation: November 2016, Pennslyvania
97: Swam in a pool: A month ago
96: Changed a diaper: October, 2016
95: Got my nails done: Two years ago?
94: Went to a wedding: 2012
93: Broke a bone: Collarbone(2005); Finger(2016)
92: Got a peircing: Never
91: Broke the law: Never
90: Texted: A few minutes ago
[ MISC ]
89: Who makes you laugh the most: My girlfriend
88: Something I will really miss when I leave home is: My dogs
87: The last movie I saw: Power Rangers
86: The thing that I’m looking forward to the most: Having a cool job and helping people
85: The thing im not looking forward to: Paying more bills
84: People call me: Pretzel
83: The most difficult thing to do is: Feel what someone else is feeling and love them all the same
82: I have gotten a speeding ticket: Nope
81: My zodiac sign is: Virgo
80: The first person i talked to today was: My best friend
79: First time you had a crush: In the 4th grade, I had a crush on my childhood best friend
78: The one person who i can’t hide things from: My girlfriend
77: Last time someone said something you were thinking: A few minutes ago
76: Right now I am talking to: No one
75: What are you going to do when you grow up: Work for the EPA (if it still exists by the time I graduate college)
74: I have/will get a job: In environmental sustainability or healthcare
73: Tomorrow: I have class
72: Today: I had class
71: Next Summer: I will still have fucking class
70: Next Weekend: Is Easter...and I’m doing nothing for it
69: I have these pets: 2 Boston terriers; 1 Betta Fish
68: The worst sound in the world: High pitched drilling
67: The person that makes me cry the most is: My mom
66: People that make you happy: I have already listed them many times
65: Last time I cried: Last night
64: My friends are: The best
63: My computer is: One of my friends
62: My School: Somewhere in Utah
61: My Car: A crappy 90′s car that still works better than the American government right now
60: I lose all respect for people who: Lie
59: The movie I cried at was: I can’t remember
58: Your hair color is: Brown
57: TV shows you watch: Parks and Rec
56: Favorite web site: No preference
55: Your dream vacation: Anywhere were there is not a lot of people, a cool culture to explore, and good food
54: The worst pain I was ever in was: When my spleen exploded
53: How do you like your steak cooked: Medium
52: My room is: Clean?
51: My favorite celebrity is: Emma Watson
50: Where would you like to be: In someone’s arms
49: Do you want children: Yeah, eventually
48: Ever been in love: Of course
47: Who’s your best friend: I feel like I already answered this question
46: More guy friends or girl friends: Guy friends
45: One thing that makes you feel great is: Love
44: One person that you wish you could see right now: My grandma
43: Do you have a 5 year plan: Sort of
42: Have you made a list of things to do before you die: Nope
41: Have you pre-named your children: No...
40: Last person I got mad at: My mom
39: I would like to move to: Washington
38: I wish I was a professional: Doctor
[ My Favorites ]
37: Candy: Pixie Stix
36: Vehicle: Audi
35: President: Obama
34: State visited: Utah
33: Cellphone provider: Verizon
32: Athlete: No preference
31: Actor: Tom Hiddlestone
30: Actress: Aubrey Plaza
29: Singer: Pentatonix
28: Band: Too many to pick one
27: Clothing store: Banana Republic
26: Grocery store: Smiths
25: TV show: Parks and Rec
24: Movie: Krampus
23: Website: Netflix
22: Animal: Dogs, dolphins
21: Theme park: Seaworld
20: Holiday: Halloween
19: Sport to watch: Volleyball
18: Sport to play: Rock climbing
17: Magazine: I don’t read magazines
16: Book: All Quiet on the Western Front, The Bell Jar; I love books, so this is a difficult one to pick a favorite in
15: Day of the week: Not Monday
14: Beach: Black sand beach in Costa Rica
13: Concert attended: Black Label Society
12: Thing to cook: Vegetable Dishes with Pasta or Rice
11: Food: Ramen
10: Restaurant: Any place that serves amazing ramen
9: Radio station: 91.X
8: Yankee candle scent: Apple Pie
7: Perfume: None, I fucking hate perfume
6: Flower: Sunflower
5: Color: Indigo
4: Talk show host: John Oliver
3: Comedian: Trevor Noah
2: Dog breed: Boston Terrier
1: Did you answer all these truthfully? Yes, I wouldn’t go through all this trouble just to lie
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