🪤 What will always lure them into certain danger? A loved one in danger? A promise of something they are always searching for?
[They shrug, clearly dispassionate despite the gravity the question implies] I go into danger if asked. That's the only pre-requisite, really.
[Their languid recline quietly freezes, if only for a moment, as they contemplate if there were something that would trump the weight a demand would place upon their shoulders, but they shake their head and shove the thought out of their head before they dwell on it too long.]
🔪 How do they react to injury / misfortune befalling their loved ones (significant other, family, friends)? Do they put themselves at blame?
[The question right after they were thrown slightly off kilter freezes them up. Their mouth hangs open, willing words forth that don't come. A cocktail of vulnerable self loathing fighting against dissociative apathy clash in their eyes, before they sigh and lean their head back to the sky. Their hand pushes back against their forehead, threading through their hair and applying pressure to the source of the disconnect. They are present. They are here.]
I... I guess it depends, but as a general rule of thumb, I prioritize damage control regardless of who the misfortune befell. If they're still around to lament whatever happened, then I try to be present but also give them the space to process the incident. As for blame... I guess I both do and don't blame myself. I do in the sense that tragedies are so often domino effects propelled by many players, and if something fell I certainly had a part to play. Yet at the same time, disaster is inevitable and that fact doesn't go away just because I'm present. If anything, it's probably the opposite; I seem to invite misfortune in the world around me. Maybe the wild magic's been quieter these days because it's been infecting my karma instead. ...Is karma real? I don't know.
[A rush of air cascades from their lungs as they lock eyes with you] I'm assuming your next question is along this vein.
🔫 Do they trust people easily? How easily will they turn their back to someone? Have they been backstabbed before? Will they betray someone if given an ultimatum?
Right. Okay. [They sigh.] No. I don't trust people. People are out for their own interests, and the moment they think you, or I, or anyone else will serve to get in their way, they will discard and stamp out that force. Trust, just like anything else, is a currency, and the average person is all too willing to cash that in for some other benefit that affects their immediate life. I think the only exception I've seen to this in the Agency is Ogun. That man is so selfless it's genuinely staggering. I don't get why he does it, but I respect his drive.
I make my objectives very clear and obvious to my fellows: I am here to achieve the benchmark set by the company that paid for my time. If they act in such a way that is irrelevant or detrimental to that cause, I don't consider leaving them behind a betrayal, even though they might try to say otherwise. That said, I will prioritize saving lives over completing a task efficiently, and I care more about saving the lives of my allies than the lives of strangers.
Backstabbed... [They chuckle, mirthlessly] How's that monkey's paw theft for a backstab? Ace is wise to not come on any further missions. He is a danger to the sanctity of the mission and I wouldn't hesitate to put him down if the situation called for it.
If we're talking about what it'd take for me to take an action that would be perceived as a perceived backstab, then it wouldn't take me much at all; my coworkers only deal in their own interests, broadly speaking, and I'm not here for their interests. I'm here for the Agency's. I wouldn't be surprised if anyone perceived my abstinence in the Bolique mansion as a betrayal. But if you're asking what it would take for me to betray something that has my loyalty... [they fold their arms] My word is my bond. The only thing that can separate my allegiance is a betrayal of my own trust, or a bond of stronger weight demanding my loyalty's severance. I would tell the affected party immediately, stronger bond willing, but... yeah. I think that's the only thing that could actually make me turn my back against something I've pledged myself to.
