gimme that candyfloss- theorizing on the locket
What’s in the locket?
A theory and meta analysis, by Lillow.
Gimme that Candyfloss is really good. I’m not going to recap the entire fic, that isn’t the purpose of… this. The purpose of this is to accurately guess what’s inside the damn locket before getting revealed. I went back and collected every reference to the dang things in the entire fic, plus the one shot to be sure. Using the info I’ve found, we can put together a list of facts about the lockets along with a meta-analysis of the story to see how the locket plays into the general themes of the story. Knowing the themes of the story, we can predict what exactly is in this locket.
But first, a little about me. This is the part of the argument called “Establishing Credibility.” Am I an english major, a friend of the author’s, a Polytrix expert? No. I’m in mechanical engineering, actually. I’m just a nerd who’s procrastinating studying by theorizing about a fic I like.
Part 1: What does the locket even represent?
Okay, okay, the first question we have to ask. What’s up with this dang locket? Why is it important? There’s a few easy answers, immediately. One, arsonide has mentioned it 23 times through the fic and teased it on twitter and in the author’s notes. But the real reason it’s important is narrative weight. Arsonide is a seriously smart author, and I’ve been continually impressed with the fic and general foreshadowing/returning to themes. The main theme of the Movie these characters are based on is hiding- how hiding hurts us, hurts our relationships, and is overall harmful. The message of the movie is “Don’t hide things.” Shame, demon patterns, creativity, brashness. The girls work best “When darkness meets the light”, to quote This is what it sounds like.
This plays into the theme of the fic! Rumi and Mira are bitter exes. Their relationship itself is their shame in the fic, taking the place of Rumi’s patterns. This is confirmed explicitly by the author on Twitter, btw, on a drawing of the fic showing Rumi’s patterns as memories of Mira. The relationship dictates most of the narrative, and specifically their inability to get over it. The lockets are the physical, in world representation of the relationship. The girls constantly chew on the chain, rub their fingers on it, or just… reminisce. There’s even a scene in Ch10 where Mira is thinking about Rumi and goes to feel the locket. (This happens more than once, this was just the most flagrant example). Anyway, the locket represents both their relationship and breakup, along with their inability to move on. (similarly to in the Movie how the Honmoon represents the relationship between the girls). It also slyly represents how they both feel about the relationship!
"How blinded by anger are they that neither Mira nor Rumi realize that they’re still wearing them?" Ch.9
They both still wear it. They’re not over each other. They never opened it. Rumi first gifted Mira a locket on their first date. Symbolically beginning their relationship. And Rumi was the one to ultimately lead to its end. (I’m assuming this part, but I feel confident that’s how the breakup went. Rumi’s inability to go public with the relationship due to her own fears, mirroring how in the movie the Honmoon was shattered by her hiding her patterns and refusing to open up. Mira got mad, did something dumb, and they both got hurt). Mira then made a copy, and made Rumi promise to never open it. Mira assumes Rumi threw it away (Minecraft incident) because that’s how Mira sees their time together- just a fling for Rumi. She fears that Rumi never really loved her because Rumi refused to go public, and in Mira’s eyes, “Fight” for her.
Part 2: How is the locket going to be used going forward?
So, the locket represents in the narrative their entire relationship, breakup and all. This means that whatever is inside it has to be significant to both of them. Something sentimental, and not dumb or vague. Whatever is inside is both something that they want the other to carry but also that they want to be there when it’s opened.
There’s also the fact that Mira has lost her locket. This plays extremely heavy into what’s inside the locket as it establishes the stakes for the rest of the fic. I’m assuming that the locket is going to be exposed, and their relationship is going to go public.
Remember, the locket is the physical representation of their shame. Their Honmoon. Rumi’s marks. Rumi’s character fundamentally will not voluntarily go into the light. She has too much external pressure, trauma, and expectations. And it shattered her last relationship. In the movie, she had to be exposed to the entire world before opening up. I believe arsonide, good author she is, is mirroring this. Instead of Rumi being unmasked on stage, Mira’s locket has something that proves they dated. And it’ll get exposed to the world. Forcing Rumi into the light. And, with fans making the connection that Rumi and Mira are bitter exes, they’ll also notice Mira and Rumi in Zoey’s chat and make the connection. Making her connection to Zoey public too.
This’ll destroy Rumi, of course, and we’ll get our good angst that has to be coming. So whatever is in the locket has to somehow confirm that Rumi and Mira are exes. It also has to be private. If it’s just a lock of each other’s hair, that confirms the relationship but for maximum angst Mira and Rumi need to be ashamed. So I believe it’ll be something private, intimate. Their relationship broke because Rumi still stubbornly decided to hide, and Mira escalated her anger. (Like raising her Gok-do at Rumi after the reveal in the movie!). So, for Rumi to actually move on, the relationship has to go public to the whole world. She has to be forced into the light, she won’t do it alone because that’s not Rumi. Not at this point.
So! What’s in it? We know Mira’s got lost, the original, the one Rumi gave her. What could Rumi give her after one date that would be embarrassing, reveal their relationship, and be sentimental to Rumi?
The most obvious answer is a folded piece of paper with either a photo or a poem or note. Something that can be traced back to Rumi’s signature, can reasonably be folded into a locket, is sweet, but also private. Song lyrics are obvious. There is a small detail that lends credit to this- Ch3!
"She takes a picture of the scribbled out lyrics on her notebook, then hesitates as she stares at it and plays with the locket against her chest. There’s no way that Zoey would know what her handwriting looks like, right?" Ch.3
Rumi writes some lyrics to Zoey, briefly worries her handwriting is recognizable, then plays with the locket. The locket that represents her relationship. If she wrote lyrics for Mira and put them in the locket, this connection would be very good foreshadowing. Specifically the “Would she recognize my handwriting?” Would be insane foreshadowing to someone connecting Mira’s locket to Rumi.
My personal favorite theory is it is a flash drive with a love song on it. In the movie, the Honmoon is strengthened by music. There’s been a lack of music in this fic… Rumi and Zoey are already bonding over it, but Mira is suspiciously absent. The Honmoon is a harmony. Something like a song that Rumi wants Mira to sing would be sweet. Or, a song just meant for her.
Wedding rings are an option I briefly considered. But I doubt it. I feel if either of them were ready for proposal, they would have brought it up in insults by now. “You’re the one that wanted my last name!” or whatever. Arsonide hasn’t really foreshadowed this, not that I’ve caught.
"Mira takes off her locket and places it, reverently, on the counter. The chains will always find their way back around her neck eventually." Ch.3
There’s always the option of “nothing.” A fake out. The point of the locket is their trust in each other, the trust to not open it. But then their relationship won’t get exposed. And since the locket symbolizes their relationship, Mira losing it accidentally muddies the story. Sure, if Mira got rid of it after getting over Rumi. Throwing it out would be Mira symbolically moving on. But losing it? Having it taken? The story itself isn’t going to force Mira to move on. Why would some random taking her locket represent her moving on? Zoey may have taken it, but I doubt it. One, I think arsonide would have shown this moment. Two… why? Zoey’s purpose in the story isn’t to force Mira to get over Rumi so they can date. Zoey wouldn’t do that in character and it’s not the endgame of the story. I do genuinely believe it was stolen by someone. (that weird fucking guy at the club, maybe? Not sure). If it was randomly lost, and didn’t lead to their relationship going public, the only narrative purpose of Mira losing it is to create guilt. Which, like, fair. But that’s so much less guilt than the relationship going public. Which is why I really think it’s headed in that direction.