Troy Rivers's Questionnaire

Troy Rivers resides in Los Angeles, California. He lives there because, like many other influencers of the modern age, it is the place to be. He lives in an apartment that is way too expensive for its location, but it is definitely a nice place. There are 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (one has a shower/tub), a large living space with built-in kitchen appliances, a storage closet, and a small balcony. He lives with four other people, because he wouldn't be able to afford it on his own. Two of them are also YouTubers/social media influencers that he regularly collabs with, but both of them have larger channels that he does. The fourth is a guy who, while he doesn't have a channel of his own, plays the role of Troy's cameraman and occasional editor. He also happens to be Troy's boyfriend, so it only makes sense for them to share. The other two have their own rooms. The 4th room is a designated "social media" room where they all film certain videos.

Troy's side of the room is very basic, like a stock image of "nice bedroom." While the rest of the house could be said the same, there is more personality among his friends and their decorations. Riley, his boyfriend, for example, has lots of posters on his side of the room, as well as figures and color. Even Troy's PC set up is generic. 

Troy makes money through his YouTube channel (and other incomes related to being an influencer, like fan donations and collabs with big companies). He mainly spends his money on his part of rent, basic necessities, and then things that relate to his public persona. He'll buy a new camera if he needs to, a new microphone, tripods and stands, (sometimes expensive) clothes, the occasional gift for a friend or family member, props and items related to the videos he makes, etc.

While he has a very decent income (and is very lucky to have such an easy way to make money), but Troy wants more.

Troy wants fame more than anything in the world. He was a normal kid with a normal upbringing, but when he got a taste of fame (a YouTube video he made that got about 40k views a few weeks in), something changed in him. He became obsessed with the high it got him. The likes, the subscribers, the comments asking him for more. Obviously, the positive attention made him feel good about himself. But then it lead to an unhealthy drive. He began to devote himself to YouTube, to the point that after he graduated high school, he went into YouTube full time. He got lucky, having a supportive family and a stable financial situation, which gave him that chance.

Fast forward to present time: Troy is fairly successful, having amassed about 300k subscribers on YouTube alone. But he still wants more. He's willing to do anything to get more famous and rich. He will fake content, sabotage other people's careers, exploit serious situations, sign deals with and support seedy companies, even sell his soul to the devil to achieve it. But it isn't just the "rich and famous" that most people think of; he wants to have power. He wants people to worship him, to be loved like a god. He wants to never fade out from relevancy. He wants to insert himself into people's minds and lives. And, of course, to him, with fame comes money. He wants to be so filthy rich that he could pay politicians to do things for him.

It was 2018. Troy was 16. He had filmed and posted a video with his younger sister; they filmed themselves making slime and then dumping it on their parents as a prank. It was a decently filmed video, as his dad was a photographer and owned good cameras, which led to the popularity of the video. He had posted several videos on his channel before: voiceless gameplays, poor quality music covers, an awkward attempt at a vlog. It was a very basic channel for a teenager, nothing special.

But somehow, it started to blow up. It wasn't sudden, but the video started to climb in views. Everyday was a new comment, more likes, another subscriber. People found him funny. And though it was just one video, it flipped a switch in Troy's head. He wanted more of this. He wanted the love, the attention, and, as time went on, the money and success that came with being a big YouTuber.

1.  Riley Pacchi:

     Riley is Troy's boyfriend, but they have been close friends since high school. They met in their Spanish 1 class, a year before Troy's video went viral. Learning that Riley liked photography, they became friends, Troy teaching Riley the things he'd learned from his father. Riley stayed with him, following him to Los Angeles, as he had become Troy's cameraman and editor for his videos. 

2.  Ralph Hart:

     Ralph is Troy's father. He was his role model as a child. Ralph is a photographer who taught Troy the basics of camera related things, leading to his future career as a social media star. He has always been supportive of Troy and his dreams. Ralph is a nice man who still sends money to help Troy out.

3.   Becca Hart:

      Becca is Troy's younger sister by four years. She was 12 at the time of the viral video. Becca doesn't share Troy's interest in YouTube and fame like he does; Becca prefers to work behind the scenes. Her dream is to become a fashion designer. Troy and Becca used to be close and get along well, but they have drifted apart as time has gone on.

Troy's other roommates:

Ari Ho (she/her, 24):  another YouTuber/streamer who specializes in video games

Jan Caddel (he/him, 24):  also a streamer, but has more of a fanbase on TikTok

Troy had a very normal, happy childhood. When he was 4, his sister, Becca, was born. In their youth, his family traveled around a lot because of his dad's job, but Troy didn't mind. He loved seeing the world and, deep down, he loved being the center of attention. Being the new kid at school was exciting for him rather than scary; all eyes were on him, if only for a moment. And when he got bored, he knew that they'd just move again. 

When Troy started high school, his family finally settled down in Michigan. His freshmen year, Troy met his future boyfriend Riley. The two clicked instantly and became best friends.

At 16, Troy's video went viral on YouTube. For a long time, he'd been posting different kinds of videos, but this slime prank video with Becca was the one that hit the jackpot.

In high school, Troy was well liked and popular. He was a part of the student council and helped out where he could. He was on the school's track and basketball teams. Almost everyone knew him, or had at least heard of him. Even teachers liked him. 

Troy met Riley when they were 15.

The two didn't start dating until they were 17, when Riley got the courage to ask him out and possibly ruin their friendship. He didn't.

At 15, Troy did like Riley.

At 16, Troy wanted to be more than friends with Riley (but never said anything).

At 17, Troy knew that dating Riley would benefit him; if Riley loves him, he'd never betray him.

Maybe, in another universe, they'd have a healthy relationship. Troy would love Riley back, he wouldn't view their relationship as a transactional thing; he wouldn't use Riley for his success; he wouldn't cheat on him.

Riley deserves better. 

But deep down, in the deepest pits of his mind, Troy does care about him. Though it's too far gone for it to matter anymore.

Troy's worst fear is being forgotten.

He thrives in attention and love. Even something as simple as being ignored is a strike to his ego; don't even ask about what happens when a video doesn't do good. Troy surrounds himself with people to guarantee that someone will notice him. He talks the loudest and shines the brightest. 

This fear was not as severe when Troy was younger as it is now. He was always being noticed by someone, whether it be his parents or his sister or a friend. But after 16, Troy became starved for attention. He needs it.

Troy has other fears, too. 

For one, he dislikes forests at night. This, too, was a fear gained later in life; when he was 12, on a camping trip with his dad in the Canadian wilderness, Troy had woken up to pee. He had left the tent and saw, in the dim light of the lantern his father left on for him, two glowing yellow eyes staring at him from beyond the trees. Troy screamed, waking up his dad and scaring away the creature (probably a deer). 

Troy is also irrationally afraid of technology malfunctions. A glitching phone will send him into a panic. It's a personal thing that haunts his dreams more than anything, but he greatly dislikes it.

Troy wears a simple necklace all the time. It's a long piece of brown string with a little black charm at the end. He got this necklace for his 16th birthday as a gift from Riley. Consciously or not, he's never taken it off since then. Shallowly, he tells himself he wears it because the necklace goes well with every outfit he wears.

Troy also wears a threaded bracelet on his left wrist. This was a gift made by his sister, originally for his 13th birthday, but as he grew, she had to make a new one. It's undeniable that Troy's heart can soften for his family. Despite the little contact they have now, Troy still loves Becca dearly. He keeps that bracelet close to his heart. 

Troy's camera and phone are also valuable to him, of course, because they are the main part of his career. But they're replaceable, so it's only so inconvenient when he loses one.