(how can i NOT do this one when both my mains atm live in hell)

Zerxus 1 and Maddie 15!

1.Does your character think that they're more or less important, or a better or worse person, than average? HAH - yes

To all of them. Yes. He lived for YEARS with the truly wild blend of "actually the most arrogant person in Magic Hubris: The City" and "I'm such a useless cowardly bastard"

Now the self-loathing is ramped up to 100 and the arrogance is...different, but still there. No look, guys, HE IS THE ONE who can definitely achieve this, even though the literal goddess of redemption tried and failed

(That hasn't happened for Barge!Zerxus yet! It's gonna fuck with him real bad! He still will not question his Goals)

15. Is there anything your character does without as a matter of principle or restraint? She's definitely denied herself things like - affection, trust, real intimacy. Vulnerability. Either because it's so easily exploited, or because deciding that shit didn't matter made her feel powerful instead of lonely and hurt.

There's nothing more tangible she's gone without when she didn't have to for sheer practical reasons.

16 for Zerxus and Maddie!

16. Does your character say things they don't mean when they're angry, or things they do mean and have been bottling up? Definitely the latter for Zerxus! It takes a lot to get him to that level, but once he's there he can say some really cutting shit and it's never just opportunistic barbs. His level of insight and commitment to understanding is

usually a good thing but when he gets real pissed off it can get vicious.

Madelyne, though, is just as likely to do either one! She will 100% say shit just because she knows it will hurt.

It's rare for her to bottle anything nowadays, TBH, but if it's something that also makes HER feel vulnerable it could spill out that way. And then there's the third option of "she THINKS she believes this but doesn't really"

It's always the nice ones

It will probably also be VERY CONDESCENDING

✂️ PityExhibit A

(it is extremely funny to me that lorewise asmodeus tends to be very hard to rattle. then he talks to zerxus for five seconds)