Dr. Phosphorus is almost contradictory to himself in a way I find notable.
Assuring Nina with, “I know you can do this, kid.” A term of endearment slipping in, fitting an interaction between a once-father and a young woman who’s spent the overwhelming majority of her adult life locked away and isolated in prison.
Perhaps too endearing, as he quickly undercuts it with “Did it sound like I gave a shit?”
When Weasel jeopardizes the mission, he grabs him in anger, yelling, “You stupid rat!”
But he doesn’t actually try to hurt Weasel. He only got burned once he sunk his teeth too deep into Phosphorus.
Then there’s this scene, where this obviously just him joking around, right? Just him being his sardonic self.
But then later, he seems genuinely offended that Flag is angry with him. That Flag should have taken his actions as a favor between ‘friends’. As if he’s actually a little desperate to be liked by the man he was fighting with not that long ago.
(I mean, as a smaller example, his interactions with Nosferata jump from him insulting her to playing freaking ping pong with her)
Then there’s his recurring dynamic with Bride. Despite the ‘I’m a killer who doesn’t care about anything’ idea of himself he pushes, Phosphorus continuously tries to interact with her. Making remarks for her to find amusing, remaking on their bleak situation for her to join in on. It’s like he saw the first person in so long to really acknowledge him in anything close to a meaningful way (“Are you smiling?” “Yes!” “Sarcastically?” “Mm-hm.”) and decided he wasn’t going to let that high just go away.
Even after the mission failed, he tries to push himself as the annoyed, angered man. Angered at Weasel, angered at Nina’s death, angered at their efforts all being for nothing.
But then he’s the only person to comfort Bride in her mourning.
I think these conflicting traits, the outward expression versus the sincerity that slips through, are most well shown during Wonderlust King. Still in the wake of his family’s death (not that it ever ended for him), during his era as a crime boss, he tries to satiate the sadness in himself.
He dances in the Ice Lounge, a display of his power and his wealth for all its attendees to bear.
But then misses dancing with his wife at their wedding, a display of their love for all gathered to behold.
He tries to gain satisfaction through inflicting violence onto others.
But then only misses the love he shared with Parvin.
He tries to fill the hole in his heart with riches.
But it’s meaningless in comparison.
Dr. Phosphorus thought Alex Sartorius died the night he was born, I feel, but despite his own best wishes, he’s still there, the loving man who only wanted to help people he once was.
