#fuli163

The thing about secret identities and aliases is that it’s not for everybody. She gets that, and realizes that sometimes the visibility of having an alias tied together so closely to their civilian identity can be helpful. Still, when acting as Outis, Mercedes does prefer the anonymity of wearing the mask, and she can’t help but feel a level of approval around those who do the same. It does seem to be the sort of approval that she doles out at random, considering how she is also fond of some fellow stewards that would not know nor claim anonymity even if it bit them in the ass and demanded they use it. Still, there is no denying the sense of approval every time she runs into Fuli163, accompanied with the usual wave of amusement as the bandages used as a mask. 

“Hello there,” she calls out from where she is sitting in the fire escape, feet kicking back and forth in the air as she presses herself forward into the railing and raises a hand to wave at him emphatically, making sure he sees her before she drops her arm and moves to stand up, slowly extricating herself from the railing and stretching as she goes. Once she is standing up, she places a hand on the railing once more and vaults over it, her other hand snapping to grab a nearby window still to slow her momentum and so on, slowly making her way to fall next to him with a little bounce in her step. 

“Coming back from a job or going towards one?” She asks, head tilting in question in an exaggerated manner. By now, she has learned to over-emote, since having a full face mask makes it harder for people to read her body language, and at the end of the day, it is best to make sure there are no misunderstandings from the beginning. Otherwise, trouble is bound to happen. “Watch out for the Cleaner, either way. Last I saw him, he was taking the Q Line and was dressed in a dark navy maintenance uniform, I think. Had a baseball cap and everything. Very non-descript, unfortunately.”

[THE HIEROPHANT] - Do they often abide by social norms, or do they reject institutional values in favor of flexibility/independence?

[JUDGMENT] - What is one thing they harshly judge themselves for? What creates doubt and self-loathing for them?

THE MAJOR ARCANA, REVERSED

[THE HIEROPHANT] - Do they often abide by social norms, or do they reject institutional values in favor of flexibility/independence?

It might feel like a cop-out, but it truly depends on the situation. For the most part Mercedes attempts to abide by social norms, but her desire to adhere to her own moral standards until the end does make her veer away from institutional values on occasion. There are some social norms that she is not afraid of challenging, such as when she rejected the Valerian recruitment offer, and she is not afraid to challenge authority even if most social mores would make people adhere to authority as a first instinct. 

[JUDGMENT] - What is one thing they harshly judge themselves for? What creates doubt and self-loathing for them?

🌠: if you were in charge of the world, what would the world look like?

💁: if someone was rude to you, would you be rude back?

💛: if you could talk to your younger self, what would you say?

emoji asks 💫 (must be answered truthfully)

🌠: if you were in charge of the world, what would the world look like?

Slowly, Mercedes looks away from her book and raises her brow at the questioner. It’s one of the kids that frequents the community questions, always asking difficult questions and waiting (in)patiently for an answer. There is a moment when she only stares at Jason, puzzled, but then she lets out a soft huff of amusement and closes her book, turning to give the kid her full attention. 

“That is a pretty heavy question, isn’t it?” She asks with hum as she taps her finger against her lips in thought. “It would probably take me a while to go through all the changes I would like to make, but I think I would begin by making sure housing and food are free so no one has to be afraid of starving or of not having somewhere to return to. Everyone deserves a home, after all. I would probably make education on all levels and healthcare free too, since it isn’t fair that people have to die just because they can’t pay exorbitant prices.”

A shrug follows and she offers the kid a warm smile. It’s a heavy question, the one asked, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve an answer. 

“Overall, I think that the world would look a little kinder and happier, but I also don’t believe in one person having all the authority, so I wouldn’t be in charge of the world alone, or forever.”

💁: if someone was rude to you, would you be rude back?

“It depends,” Outis shrugs as she carefully adjusts her grip of the groceries she is carrying for the old lady walking next to her, moving them to one hand so she can offer the other to her as if to escort her in one of those cheesy period dramas. Once she feels the slight, yet firm, hold of her arm, she begins walking back to the client’s apartment. “People in stressing situations tend to be more explosive than not, and reacting rudely back on those occasions is just not worth it. It is more efficient to ensure everyone is safe and to reassure the stranger as much.”

Head tilted to the side, she eyes the street, and carefully pushes the client to the side, following through, as a bicycle flies past them. She then continues walking as if that had been nothing.

“At the end of the day, everyone has their own circumstances, so most likely the rudeness doesn’t come from rudeness sake,” she says calmly. “But that doesn’t mean I will let them be rude forever. I prefer to lead my interactions with kindness and temperance, but I am not perfect and even my patience can run thin.”

💛: if you could talk to your younger self, what would you say?

“Probably to invest in X company stocks and the lottery numbers, I guess,” Mercedes says, looking away from where she is organizing the teaching materials they have set aside for the younger permuted, meeting Jason’s eyes and smiling, amused. “I don’t actually have a lot of regrets, since I try to live my life at its fullest. But extra money it’s nice.”