Bryan Bosch's Questionnaire

Bryan lives in a lower-end apartment building in Oakland, California that he shares with a group of other art students. Due to his lack of support from parents/family and lack of a job, he's got no where else to go. Specifically, he's part of an art collective of fellow students who all focus on their own, individual art specialty/niche (with his being origami). Vibes wise, it's basically what you'd imagine a collective of art students living together to be like-- quirky, nonconformist, and probably collectively broke and on the dysfunctional side of things. Though he's decently close with his roommates, and even views the group as his second family in a way, he has aspirations to someday move beyond them and make both a name and space for himself.

Bryan doesn't make much money in his current situation, nor does he have much in the way of financial support from family. He makes what little he does through a mixture of tutoring (thanks to his high intellect) and various odd jobs, though not enough to accumulate any worthwhile savings. He's not exactly the money savvy type either-- though he does his best to remain frugal in his day to day life, he often spends what he earns on various, overly expensive art supplies for his projects. Lots of his money also goes towards his roommates, whether it be for rent or as 'loans' for them to buy their own art supplies (that are rarely actually repaid, of course).

Bryan's ambition to bring to life a world of his own artistic creations through becoming a master artisan. He's the type to get lost in his own dreams and imagination, envisioning a future where he's made a mark on the world through the brilliance of his own art. However, born with nothing to his name and barely managing to subsist from day to day, he recognizes that it's unlikely he'll ever be able to escape his poverty through his art alone. As such, like every other Contractor, he's willing to risk his life if it means furthering himself and achieving his goals. Though Bryan is still hesitant to directly take a life or bring himself to the brink of death yet, he's proven himself capable of pushing himself to his limits and surviving so far.

Bryan is a reserved person. Though he's capable of holding a conversation and presenting himself, he's always preferred to keep to himself and put himself into his imagination rather than the world around him. However, it was when Bryan incidentally stepped into the art room of his high school where he'd discover his desire to imprint his art onto others. There, he'd come across a fellow student's oil painting, one so vibrant and creative that he couldn't pull his attention away from it. After talking its creator, he decided he would start focusing on and sharing his own art with people in hopes of achieving the same effect.

Yashar Kassai: One of Bryan's peers at his high school, and the one who created the painting that inspired Bryan to focus on and share his art. A brilliant artist in their own right, though specializing in painted works for the most part. Bryan's closest friend, and one of the few he considers himself to be the same level on.

Felicia Chen: The art teacher at Bryan's high school, as well as the teacher who directs  the art club. A big influence in Bryan's decision to pursue art as his career. Though she is an older, grey-haired woman, she's able to easily connect with and understand her students. Bryan considers her to be his mentor.

Adrian Alphona: The roommate that pulled Bryan into living in a shared apartment with an art collective. College aged and a bit of a slacker, though apparently extremely talented when it comes to art. Specializes in fabric related arts.

Bryan didn't have the most fortunate upbringing. His father was a negligent alcoholic who has been mostly absent throughout Bryan's life, and his mother ended up passing away at an early age. As such, Bryan grew up learning how to survive independently, though at the cost of becoming fairly withdrawn as a person. He attended school as normal, and while he was remarkably intelligent and found learning engaging, he wasn't able to fully dedicate himself to his studies due to his living situation. Moreover, Bryan also finds it difficult to connect with his peers, even to this day. While he knows how to talk and present himself, he's reserved and prefers indulging his own imagination rather than directly socializing with others. He also views himself differently from his peers-- believing himself to have much more potential than any regular person as well as deserving of much more than what he has now. Both of these factors result in Bryan being somewhat of a loner, though he's far from a misanthrope or anti-social.

Bryan hasn't ever been in romantic love with a person before. As someone who keeps mostly to himself, he hasn't had the chance to make many close platonic relationships in the first place. Moreover, he's also somewhere on the asexual/aromantic spectrum-- hovering somewhere around being demisexual and biromantic (lack of physical or romantic attraction to anyone he's not strongly connected to already). Though he's not personally romantic himself, Bryan still finds love to be an interesting subject to admire and examine on an artistic level, and respects/learns from many artists who have used it as the focus of their work.

Bryan doesn't have many notable, if any, tangible fears. He's a level headed person able to remain logical and analytic when needed thanks to his sharp mind. As a Contractor, he's already predisposed to risking death if it means victory, and as an artist, his fascination and curiosity with the world outweighs any fear of the unknown he might have. However, if there's anything Bryan fears the most, it's the idea of failure. In his mind, his primary contribution to the world and his main reason for existence is the brilliance of his mind and the perfection of his craft. These are what makes him valuable in a world that discards anything that's considered poor or worthless, and what gives him a chance to prove himself on these Contracts. Consequently, any failure or imperfection in his craft is a direct path to being abandoned, forgotten, and left alone on the streets once again. Even if it's an abstract fear on an overall level, it's the one that's most capable of piercing his nerves and scarring his mind. To that end, he's willing to throw away almost everything in the pursuit of this perfection and to avoid any major failings within his career.

As a result of his upbringing, Bryan doesn't have many prizeworthy or valuable possessions to his name. As such, anything that he does consider important to him carries sentimental weight rather than tangible or monetary value. The item that carries the most emotional attachment for Bryan is a simple, amateur water painting depicting a mother and a child standing at a lake together. It's far from the hyper perfected, honed style that Bryan practices now as an artist-- but perhaps its free flowing, abstracted style is what gives it so much charm. This piece was created during Bryan's early childhood, back when his mother was still alive and when he was living a normal childhood. In fact, it was created alongside her, and as such, is one of the few reminders Bryan has of who she was and his memories of her. Resting framed atop Bryan's desk at his apartment, it's what he looks to whenever he feels lost in life or in his pursuit of artistic perfection.

Money. Simply put, Bryan's still got the same money issues that have plagued him throughout all his life. Due to a mixture of his messy living situation, the lack of an actual occupation, and a chronic tendency to splurge too much on supplies and materials, Bryan's having any difficulty holding onto any significant sum of money. The first two are relatively straightforward (though not necessarily painless) to deal with, fortunately for him. Now that he's 18, he has the ability to move out on his own and quit paying rent to live in a shared apartment with a bunch of roommates that leech off him for loans. Moreover, he's also more than capable of finding some decent paying work with his genius intellect and valuable skillset-- even if likely unrelated to art for the time being. The last habit, however, likely requires some more abstract thinking. Over the years, he's developed some rather poor financial habits-- overspending on expensive materials to research or experiment with, quality supplies to ensure the perfection of his craft, a questionable amount of gacha games on his phone, etc. In order to solve this, he plans on developing some sort of financial planner to ensure he's allocated enough to at least have some backup money during his contracts. Life savings, on the other hand? ...Maybe those can wait.

Now that he lives on the property of the Farm, Bryan's morning routine is much more comfortable and easygoing than the hectic life that was living with a group of other irresponsible teenagers in a shared apartment. He typically goes to bed around 11 P.M. and wakes up at 9 A.M. the following morning, spending a few more hours dreaming and letting his subconscious develop than most people. His origami cranes, which are instructed to remain motionless in their own personally-designed pen, help wake him up in the morning to carry on with the rest of the day. His personal grooming process is rather relaxed and easygoing-- spending much of his time freshening up getting lost in his own thoughts. During this time, he also makes sure to complete a daily 'art project' to keep his creativity flowing, ranging from simple sketches, folding origami, or blueprinting a design for something more concrete. By the time he's done, he's ready to eat breakfast at around 10 A.M.-- typically going for something home cooked rather than the microwaved meals or fast food leftovers he used to live off.

For a special occasion where Bryan wants to look his best, he'd spend a significant amount of time making himself look sharp and presentable-- much more time than he usually does in his day to day routine. With his experience with fine art and prowess in all sorts of crafts, Bryan actually has a strong sense of fashion despite his normal worn appearance. However, due to his poor upbringing, he's never had the money or the materials to experiment with making himself look fancy-- thus, he lacks any outfits appropriate for such an occasion. In his current situation though, he has enough resources to work with where he'd be able to personally tailor his own suit-- implementing his own flair as an artisan and weaving in protective fabric or material to ensure he's secure if things go wrong. As for other preparations, he would make sure he knew as much as possible about the event in advance, particularly any cultural customs, etiquette, or investigative information he could use.

Bryan's next birthday is his eighteenth, which means he'll be recognized as a legal adult. Though it's a big milestone, he doesn't plan on celebrating with a party or anything similar-- he's not close enough to most of his peers to care to hang out, nor does he have the luxury to spend his time partying. Instead, his focus will be on starting the process of becoming legally independent. Once he turns eighteen, he plans on initiating the process of officially moving out, getting an occupation to fix his finances, and figuring out a space to live on his own.

There was a time in Bryan's life where he was heavily considering abandoning his pursuit of art. His financial burdens made the idea of pursuing his craft as a starving artist sound impossible, and the art of origami had only become a painful reminder of his life with his mother. During these period, he barely spent any of his time developing his creative mind-- instead focusing on figuring out more traditional skills that could someday pull him out of his situation. In these fields, he did his best to suppress any desire to show off any personal flair or artistic touches to his craft, in fear that it might motivate him to pick up his old passions again. This period lasted well into high school, until he stumbled across one of his peers in the art club and their inspiring work. To this day, Bryan wishes he spent his earlier years continuing to perfect his craft rather than giving up-- putting all of himself into his art to bring it to a higher level.

The majority of Bryan's Gifts are the fruition of a brilliant, artistic mind gaining the power to bring his designs to life with his imagination and skill. His signature specialty revolves around the art of origami, specifically implementing the skills of complex folding, crafting, and creativity needed in the art. Bryan's Orizuru is his most prominent example of his origami gifts, as well as being his first-- a representation of his ability to bring even the most simple of designs to life with his skills and mind. Another example of his creative abilities fueling his Gifts would be his Blueprint technique, which allows him to trace the design of any object and bring it into reality. His other gifts involve the manipulation and control of paper, such as his Paper Folding telekinesis technique or his protective Papier-Mâché. The rest involve his mind and capabilities as an artist, such as his Polymath intellect or his artifact crafting Gifts (Three-Point Flexibility being his most invested design).

Bryan's never been a particularly religious person. While he's pretty sure there's some sort of divinity out there, considering all of the supernatural extremities he's been exposed to, they've never been a subject of worship in his life so far. He's often been too busy trying to figure out how to get a roof over his head or feed himself for the day to bother with worship and prayer. However, that's not to say he doesn't find religion fascinating or worth studying. Throughout all of history, some of the most phenomenal works of art or human ingenuity have been focused on depicting religion, mythology, etc. A few of Bryan's own peers still feature religion as the centerpiece of their works, and there's no denying the interesting ideas to be explored behind spiritual concepts. As such, Bryan views most religious ideas as a form of muse or source of inspiration, rather than personally believing in them.

While Bryan has never been forced to witness any abhorrent atrocities or commit any heinous violations of his morals in his career as a Contractor, he has been exposed to a multitude of fantastical, 'out there' experiences. From the mystical and paranormal-- occult spirits, sentient animals, and eldritch secrets-- to the strange yet tangible-- humanoid monsters, freaks of science, and wonders of technology-- Bryan has seen a plethora of things through Contracts that he had previously thought impossible or out of his reach. Though there is still the guttural, initial shock of coming across these reality-changing illuminations, Bryan's reactions have shifted from fear and confusion to curiosity and fascination when his perception of the world is flipped on his head. Now, whenever he encounters one of these phenomena, his instincts tell him to attempt to understand and comprehend them as sources of inspiration and knowledge rather than to run away.

The Farm:

Viktor Caetano / "Lex" - An ex-mercenary with technomancy related skills. While Bryan isn't exactly 'fond' of him by any stretch of the imagination (and still holds some reservations about the man), there's no denying their powerful ambition and their prowess in their fields of expertise. Bryan views them as some sort of asshole, war-vet uncle or grandpa.

Guy Webber / "Abe" - A chemist with an understanding of spatial magic. Bryan holds a significant degree of respect and admiration towards the man, due to his similarly scholarly mind and his recognition of Bryan's talents as an artisan. Bryan views them as a mentor figure in his life, one he looks to for guidance or counseling when he's struggling.

Other Contractors:

Beth Metal - A rock stars with the powers of a "bandshee." Though Bryan hasn't been on many Contracts with her, she's been an asset to everyone on the Farm-- now the current owner of Gull's tattoo kit. Bryan respects the way she upholds Gull's legacy through using the tattoo kit on others freely.

Lucas Arrete - A vampire boasting a variety of vampiric abilities. To this day, Bryan is more... terrified seeing Lucas than anything else. However, their skills as a Contractor are extremely impressive, and Bryan still owes Lucas his life.

To Bryan, the perfect room is none other than a blank one-- spacious and peaceful, perhaps with some existing geometry for him to work with. The reason being is that such a space would be the perfect empty canvas for him to work on, and with his artisanal skills, there's no room more perfect than one he could make himself. Ideally, the room would exist in a place of solitude, one that allowed him to work without distraction or disturbance. Whatever Bryan turned the room into would depend on its location and purpose, naturally, but whatever the end goal was, he'd make sure the room had a sense of personal flair. The perfect room, in essence, is one shaped and designed by himself.

Bryan's field of expertise lies within art-- more specifically, origami. While he's an exceptional artisan who excels in almost everything related to crafts, and is a prodigy in a variety of other fields, it is his art that exists as the foundation of his paradigm and his ambitions as a person. Bryan strives for perfection in his art, focusing on the technical and mathematical angle of origami (known as origami sekkei) as a major corner stone in his art. However, his ultimate perspective regarding origami is not just one revolving around ingenuity, but imagination and expression as well. His philosophy regarding art as a whole is that creativity and technical prowess are not mutually exclusive. In fact, Bryan believes a truly great piece should both be a marvel of ingenuity and creativity. As such, Bryan strives to make his pieces not only memorable through their execution, but their premise, meaning, and overall impact as well.

Bryan shares the limits most typical people have. His Anguish is simply reflective of his natural response to undergoing extreme pain and duress. While he's seen some things during his time as a Contractor, he's still connected enough to his humanity to feel horror in response to witnessing Atrocities. Lastly, though Bryan is similarly willing to do many things to achieve victory, Murder is a limit he aims to avoid crossing at all costs. Most notably, however, Bryan possesses a fourth limit, unlike most people. To Bryan, experiencing true Failure is just as traumatizing and scarring as undergoing torture, witnessing massacres, or killing another person. This is due to the expectations and beliefs Bryan holds towards himself, believing that his primary contribution to the world is the brilliance of his art and mind. If he ever fails to meet his own standards, to Bryan, it is a sign of personal worthlessness that he must atone for. There aren't many things that could cause Bryan to cross one of these limits voluntarily-- primarily, only the safety of his person or the victory of a crucial Contract exist in his mind as things that could push him to break them.

The title of Bryan's soundtrack would be: "born from a blank sheet of paper." The list features a mix of genres, including classical, indie, alternative, etc.

1: Sleep Talk Metropolis (Mili) – "Living in a dream— I'm living a distant dream— I'm living for this dream— So don't say yours was better—"

A Mili banger that represents Bryan's origin as a Contractor, struggling with the monotony of societal and economic burdens while living in (and for) his artistic dreams. This song was what inspired me to create this character and what I listened to while brainstorming him.

2: Gunjō / Blue (Yoasobi) – "With this color of my choice— On a morning draped with sleepiness— I approached a blue world—" (English Translation)

Inspired by the "Blue Period" manga, this catchy, upbeat track represents Bryan's daily pursuit of artistic beauty. The story of Blue Period serves as a primary source of inspiration for this character, particularly the hardworking, studious, and personal elements of being an artist.

3: Merry-Go-Round of Life (Joe Hisaishi / Howl's Moving Castle OST) – An instrumental track focusing on classical instruments like piano and strings.

The first instrumental song of the soundtrack, this melody captures the fantastical, artistic 'dreams' that fill Bryan's mind in both sleep and day. My end goal for this character is basically just making a Howl's Moving Castle made of paper.

4: Color Your Night (Atsushi Kitajoh / Persona 3 Reload OST) – "Another wander in the night— Let me paint the view— Color the town with my light—"

The entire Persona 3 soundtrack (especially Reload) is just perfect vibes, vibes that also happen to match Bryan's. This track, in particular, was chosen to represent Bryan's inquisitive mind and eye for beauty in the world with its sound and lyrics.

5: van (Kensuke Ushio / A Silent Voice OST) – Another instrumental track featuring primarily piano. A calming, yet moving piece.

Kensuke Ushio's works as a whole have a unique, almost 'ethereal' feeling to them that fits Bryan's aforementioned nature as a person who gets lost in their own dreams. The muffled sounds of the "A Silent Voice" OST, in particular, conveys this portion of his character well.

6: Playing God (Polyphia) – Instrumental once more, though this track almost solely focuses on the guitar. An extremely smooth ass piece.

While most of Bryan's soundtrack focuses on his nature as a dreaming artist, there's another key layer to his character that can't be ignored: his inner ego. The technical prowess of Playing God, alongside its title, captures Bryan's own technical style of origami and his level of pride over his brilliance.

7: Origami (The Rare Occasions) – "I'll face the night deep in starlight— Shadows unwind deep in starlight— I'll face the night—"

Besides the fact that the song is literally titled Origami (I swear I knew the song before Bryan), the "anxious existentialism" and mix of guitar and orchestra manages to encapsulate Bryan's rather nervous, reserved nature and his "coming-of-age" journey (quotes taken from the Genius review lol).

Bryan's current Ambition is to "create a living world from his paper creations." Throughout his life, Bryan has always wished to bring to life the brilliant, fantastical origami designs that exist in his dreams and mind. Now that he's a Contractor, he's made many steps in refining his art, improving his life, and sharpening his mind-- but he's yet to truly show what he can do to the world. However, after a night of complete, total meditation contemplating with his origami during the White Ronin, Bryan has now decided to start making real strides in making his imagination a reality. This ambition of his will be something he'll likely devote himself to for the rest of his life-- in fact, all retirement would mean is devoting his time solely to the creation of his art. As Bryan gains power from Contracts, the main thing that evolves with his Ambition is the potential scale he can achieve using his Gifts.

Though Bryan is usually a rather level headed person, there are a few key things that get under his skin above all else-- namely whenever he doesn't receive proper compensation/recognition for his work and being disturbed while he's working. Bryan does his best to put all of his soul, mind, and effort into his craft, striving for perfection and achieving brilliance in his art. He believes that his status and skill as an artist his deserving of approval and awe from the people around them. Not only that, Bryan has also lived most of his life without ever seeing profit, praise, or reward for pursuing this ambition. As such, whenever someone refuses to properly compensate him for his work or show any admiration or gratitude to his brilliance (cough cough Viktor), it's something Bryan remembers (permanently, with his perfect memory) and holds a grudge for. Moreover, whenever Bryan works on his art, he had a very methodic and careful approach to it. Consequently, he prefers to be in a calm, peaceful environment whenever he is working. If he's disturbed or distracted by someone, Bryan feels that he cannot achieve the level of work he could accomplish on his own. Naturally, Bryan also feels a sympathetic anger whenever these things happen to other people, particularly with his peers in the art scene who have undergone similar struggles to him. This all said, Bryan still isn't a particularly spiteful or vengeful person overall-- preferring to make long-term connections than to burn bridges. Still, if something or something does manage to tick him off, Bryan is more than capable and willing enough to compose a complicated revenge plan to retaliate-- preferring to answer with a response befitting of 'poetic justice' to anyone who wrongs him. If someone steals his work from him, especially his artifacts, Bryan would plan to steal his stuff and something additional in turn.

Bryan doesn't have many secrets to keep about his past. He had a rather mundane, if poor, upbringing growing up, and though he'd rather not disclose most of the struggles he went through growing up broke to people, he doesn't make a considerable effort covering it up or hiding it. However, throughout his career as a Contractor, Bryan has formed a few deals and alliances that he's bound to uphold and keep secret in the present. The most notable and binding of which is his deal with Prometheus Ventures. While the details of the deal are rather simple and don't come up frequently, he understands that breaking his NDA would result in permanent consequences and a new enemy he knows is extremely threatening. Moreover, as part of his deal with the Firm, Bryan does his best to keep the supernatural nature of the group secret as well, willing to aid with any projects they need to keep secret with his skills.

There are a few directions/names Bryan could take if he were to ever become a Harbinger. Something related to his craft would be most appropriate-- either parts of the word "Origami" (Ori for 'Fold,' Kami for 'Paper), or another title related to his skills (such as 'The Fold') would fit him the best. He likely wouldn't be the type to hand out Contracts or reach out to Contractors personally for most of his jobs-- sending them their instructions and briefings through paper planes and similar methods. He'd likely concern himself with the preservation, creation, or cultivation of art for his jobs, which could include missions such as protecting a monument, extracting a lost artifact, etc. On occasions where he would meet with a Contractor personally, such as introducing a newbie, he'd take the form of his Paper Mimicry and offer them an opportunity as if he were some sort of 'benefactor' towards the Contractor.

Bryan has made connections with a multitude of different Contractors in his career, so it'd likely depend on which Contractor died. There aren't any Contractors he outright dislikes or disrespects, so there are none he would totally just ignore or feel indifferent towards. For his peers in the Firm, he'd do his best to work alongside the others to help recover their body for a proper burial-- though his highest priority would most likely end up being the retrieval of their equipment, considering how valuable everyone's items are within the Firm. This applies doubly so towards the figures he respects and admires the most from the Firm, namely Mr. Polk or Guy Webber. With his talents and art, Bryan would ensure that whatever memorial created in memory of the fallen would be grand and appropriate to their character-- ideally, celebrating whatever they were proudest of in life through Bryan's own representation/replication.

As someone yet to illuminate themselves, as well as a member of the Firm, Bryan is especially careful to avoid leaving tracks behind on his Contracts. Thankfully, he's got a few tricks and items up his sleeves he has to cover his trail. One such is his ability to cover up security cameras at a distance/from behind cover using his folding paper. His most notable and direct method of removing his tracks is the Shadow Briefcase however, provided by the Firm. The Shadow Briefcase is explicitly designed to target any evidence of his presence and destroy it. Combined with his perfect memory, he ensures that any tracks he knows he left in public or restricted areas are removed after a job is complete. Outside of his supernatural capabilities, Bryan also follows standard procedures and measures to ensure he's not caught-- wearing gloves to cover his finger prints, clothes that conceal his face, etc.

It likely depends on what 'law' was broken and how severe the action was. Bryan prioritizes victory on his jobs enough to violate his limits if necessary, but it's not as if harming others is the go-to solution for him. Something like murdering a random innocent person for being a 'witness' would be a last resort, if an option at all. As such, if a teammate were to take such an action, Bryan would more likely than not take issue with it. However, chances are he wouldn't report them to the authorities either. If they're a teammate, then they'd have the ability to implicate him in the same crime if the law was involved. Even though he's part of the Firm, he'd rather not deal with any legal issues for the sake of pursuing them. Instead, Bryan would likely figure out a way to take things into his own hands-- recruiting the help of his fellow Contractors if necessary and coming up with a plan to expose or stop the teammate.

Similarly, Bryan's response would highly depend on the required objective for the Contract. As described before, while he is willing to go to great lengths in order to achieve victory, Bryan still aims to uphold his integrity as a person on these jobs. More likely than not, he wouldn't carry out a Contract that required anything akin to the sudden murder of innocent people upfront, as well as things like harming the livelihoods of random civilians or outright torturing someone/committing humanitarian atrocities. However, that's not to say he would refuse to show up to such a Contract. In a scenario such as this, he would instead attempt to figure out what his options are for cheating and exploiting the objective of the Contract-- using his intelligence to stretch the definitions and parameters of the job so that he can still achieve victory and power. Moreover, Bryan's not in desperate need to win every Contract that comes his way in his current situation, and is able to afford waiting for another job to come in the worst case scenario.

Bryan hasn't had any actual repeat Harbingers during his career as a Contractor. Many of his jobs have had their objectives delivered through an agent or through a letter-- though this makes the Harbingers he has encountered more memorable in his mind. Of course, there is the Harbinger that brought him into these jobs, the woman in the fine dress and the shadow dog. Bryan's opinion of her is quite high, as she was the first sign of the universe finally recognizing his potential and his talents. She's also the only one who's carried herself with a sense of etiquette and dignity, which he can't quite say for the others. Bryan has also encountered The Talent during his career, even directly interacting and speaking to the Harbinger during one of his Contracts. While he doesn't exactly admire the man and his shady demeanor, Bryan does recognize them as a figure with extraordinary experience and power, even relative to other Harbingers.

Viktor Caetano: Former allies as part of The Farm. After Bryan was recruited into the Firm, things turned bitter between him and Viktor-- Viktor believing he was being betrayed while Bryan believing his talents were undervalued in the Farm. There were temporarily plans to take out Viktor from the Firm in the event that there was an all out war between them, but after peace negotiations, hostility has died down. Bryan personally doesn't hold too strong of a resentment towards Viktor-- he simply views him as too stubborn to admit he's wrong.

Jason Brennings: The infamous Master Batter who supposedly sent a man to hell over some noodles. Bryan hasn't dealt with major prejudice for being Asian American before, but of course, he naturally still disapproves of Brennings and what he's done. Especially after the failed job they were on together, Bryan now holds a personal vendetta against him. He doesn't plan on making any efforts towards 'settling the score' considering that he's likely stuck in prison now, but the personal grudge still remains. If they were to return to contracting or encounter one another again, Bryan's interactions with them would likely depend on if they've done anything to redeem themselves since.

Beth Metal: Technically a proxy grudge caused from a conflict between Guy Webber and her. After trying to gift her money for everything she's done for the Contractor community, Beth misunderstood Guy to be the anonymous supernatural serial killer and attempted to coerce him. They ended up fighting for a brief moment, and while things were resolved between them, the damage was done. Bryan still harbors respect towards Beth for the services she's provided-- but if he were to ever encounter her, he'd probably try to take Gull's Tattoo kit back so that he and Guy could honor their legacy themselves.

This one depends on the circumstances.

If Bryan were immediately dying? He'd hope he was going out in a memorable or pride-worthy fashion, at least. He's already got a will to spread his finances and belongings to the people he knows-- so he doesn't have any affairs or things he'd leave behind that need to be sorted through final requests. His last words would most likely be something along the lines of "I've made it." Something to show his satisfaction and pride in the accomplishments he's made and how far he's come.

If his death were instead an imminent inevitability, then he'd make sure to spend his remaining time doing what he can to mark the world with his ambitions-- ensure his monuments are there to serve as a memory for who he was. He'd want to devote himself and his time to one final monument, as big and memorable as he could make it. Something that exceeded the scale of metropolis, one that would continue to be seen and interacted with by many.

If possible, the first step Bryan takes is to get familiar with the city.

Research the location, look up any recent local news, figure out if the city has any noteworthy history or mythology, memorize the layout (looking at a map, noting important landmarks or buildings, etc.), check the laws of the overall area, read up on any notable cultures inside the city, etc. The more information he has, the more informed his decisions can be.

He'd make sure to book a hotel for the duration of his stay. Something fancy and luxurious, if possible-- though depending on the objective, he might also opt for something more pragmatic and easy to access instead. If international, he'd make sure to convert some of his money into proper currency, as well as rent a car (as he's currently restricted from renting any vehicles in the United States).

As for Bryan's loadout, it'd likely depend on how far the location was from home. He doesn't have any particular difficulties with transporting most of his equipment due to their relatively inconspicuous nature. For a longer-term stay, he might bring some additional luggage-- extra clothing, spare rations, etc. Otherwise, he'd simply bring his typical set of gear he has for Contracts.

Bryan has a few methods of travel to make it to job locations.

Of course, there's the standard options of "driving to the area" if it's within the United States or "taking a plane" if it's overseas. Bryan is a competent enough driver behind the wheel to make his way across the country if needed, and he doesn't have any particular issues with going through the airport either. His equipment is inconspicuous for the most part, and any oddities he does has is able to be stored in his various Stashes. Since he doesn't rely on firearms, there's no issue with smuggling his weapons in either.

If those options aren't available, then he still has access to the private jet that the Firm owns. If it's close enough, he can also potentially opt to fly to the city himself with his own set of wings-- though that poses the risk of getting spotted or filmed.

Bryan is something of a handyman thanks to his understanding of interworking shapes, mechanics, designs, etc. If his vehicle breaks down, then he can repair it through a mixture of mundane and supernatural means (using his skills and ability to produce any tools/materials he needs). If it's something out of his control preventing him from traveling, such as weather, then he's got a few other methods of travel. If he's in close enough range, he could opt to just brave the environment and fly there himself using his Modular Feathers-- or if he's even closer, obtain view of his destination with his flight so that he can instantaneously travel to the location. In the future, Bryan also plans on leveraging the monuments he plans on building across the globe to create some sort of network system that he can travel through-- allowing him to bring both himself and other Contractors alongside him.

Bryan has been down on his luck before-- he knows what it's like to be desperate for money. That said, he's also quite protective of his assets. His response would likely depend on whether or not he can stand the thought of even allowing someone to mug him. If he has time in advance to prepare, he can hide away most of his assets through sleight of hand and his Gifts, potentially getting away with just handing over some cash. Depending on his read of the situation, he might attempt to talk the situation down and offer his cash as leverage-- though that risks the inverse of escalating things. If all else fails, his gear is a little too valuable to part ways with. He's more than capable of just going the violent route and incapacitating whoever's mugging him, but that naturally comes with the risk of causing a scene. His last resort before that plan would simply be running away, trusting that he's skilled/capable enough physically to get away without too much use of Gifts.

Before Bryan even arrives to the motel, he'd make sure to run a background check on the area-- figure out whether or not it's up to his standards, if it's safe for him to bring his equipment, etc. Rather than sitting around, Bryan would be focused on taking care of business first and foremost once he arrived, especially in a seedy area like this. While he could sit at the counter and fake being drinking age rather easily with his skillset, getting drunk would only hinder his mental faculties. He'd only bother socializing in a place like this if it were for the sake of gathering more information related to his objective. Instead, most of his time would be spent towards getting his room secure for the night-- setting up his Notepaper to watch over his belongings, placing his Orizuru to sit on lookout, and hiding his most valuable inventory in his various rings.

Precautions be damned, Bryan fortunately has a few methods to track down where his stuff went. Fortunately, most of his most important gear remains hidden away in his Stash rings-- so he'd retain most of his abilities even without his luggage. That said, there's still several priceless Artifacts Bryan keeps in his bags among the rest of his travel gear-- he'd spare no effort in tracking down where these thieves went and sending them some payback. He'd review the footage his Notepaper wards would have recorded in his sleep, using it to figure out who the perpetrators were and where they would've went. Based on that, he'd use his solid investigative skillset to discern how he could track them down-- using GPS applications from his phone or equipment, following tracks left behind with his Orizuru, asking people if they've spotted anyone like the thieves, etc. If any Notepaper was taken with his luggage, he could even simply just fold himself into the location and retrieve his stuff immediately.

Fortunately for Bryan, any entrances he needs to break into are... relatively simple, thanks to his Search Warrant from the Firm (The Firm's Authority). Even magical, alien, or futuristic locks can be opened with ease using the paper. Of course, this method isn't exactly the most subtle, as it calls for him to present the warrant and announce that he has the authority to search the premises. Before using the warrant, he'd ideally ensure his perimeter is as quiet and vacant as possible, using his Orizuru to fly and scout for him, and his Extended Folding to cover up any cameras. However, if using the warrant isn't an option due to there being people in the vicinity, Bryan has a few other personal methods to get in. His technological prowess is impressive enough for him to potentially just hack the security system, so long as he managed to get a way in. Otherwise, with his craftsmanship, he could possibly even replicate the necessary keycard and make another working one.

Bryan would be more taken aback by the audacity at this point than anything else. Fortunately for him, he's dealt with trained teams of armed soldiers before. Though he's capable enough of handling them in a fight, he'd rather see if reason could work before combat broke out. No incentive in taking pointless risk, in his eyes. He'd lead the conversation if no one else on his team were specialists in diplomacy-- citing that their combined knowledge and power would be far more valuable to the leaders alive than not, and if they were to try to take them down, it'd only end with them on top. If combat were inevitable, and his team were more inclined towards violence than escape, then he'd stay with them and defend himself. With his mastery over his crafted blades, his Papier-Mache barrier, and the rest of his various offenses and defenses, chances are that he'd come out just fine.

Bryan has seen his teammates die on jobs before, both in traumatically horrific fashion and less than noble ways. However, at this point in his career, a teammate of his caliber dying means something has gone truly, genuinely wrong. Fortunately, he's got a few anti-death measures in place. Mainly, consumables to revive someone with the minute they die, terrain to guard the corpse, and methods of escaping afterwards. However, if they're dead for good? ...Bryan doesn't consider himself a vulture per se, but there's no point in letting good equipment go to waste. Secure the body in one of his containers, loot it for its gear, and make sure the mission is completed so that their sacrifice wasn't in vain. If it's someone he's gotten close to, someone he's known for some time throughout his career, then he'd take special care to make sure the body is preserved and that those responsible get what they deserve... If it's someone he's completely unfamiliar with, however? Then the mission takes priority.

Bryan would certainly be curious about the nature of the device and what it was capable of. Though he lacks direct means of investigating the object, if they were secure enough after their escape that there was no concern of being pursued... it wouldn't hurt to experiment a little with it, and try to figure out what exactly it was capable of-- what his teammates had died for, if the previous questions are anything to go by. If not, then it'd be time to go. Either way, it's unlikely that he'd ever favor keeping it for himself regardless of its powers, if it meant giving up completion of the job. After receiving the delivery point, transport would be a simple enough matter with his arrangement of methods to stay low profile, get places fast, keep things hidden, etc. Without any other pressing matters to address, he'd head there immediately-- raising his guard again until the job was fully complete and they were free to head home.

Bryan lives in his own house in Battlegrounds, California. Formerly the small community of California Valley, the area has since been transformed into a safe haven for the supernatural. It has been a year since Bryan moved into the area after joining the Firm, helping develop and construct the city to the point is at now along the way. His home is a three story building on the outskirts of the Battleground's residential area, originally a smaller home that he has since expanded and renovated significantly over the past year. Though not necessarily an entire mansion, the house is rather spacious and comfortable, adopting a contemporary design in its shape and structure. Numerous art pieces of different designs and periods are on display throughout the space, many of which are Bryan's own origami. Its interior is overall kept extremely neat and organized thanks to his perfect memory and knack for design, with his room being kept especially clean to act as a working space as well.

The vast majority of Bryan's money comes from his work for the Firm, coming in at lump sums of millions of dollars at a time. His official job, however, is working as a concept artist and designer for an indie game studio that he was employed by earlier in his career. While the money is nothing in comparison to what he earns from the Firm, he still works there for the enjoyment of his position and as a means of having a more 'on the books' job. Most of Bryan's money is spent on spoiling himself, splurged on extravagant, unnecessary collector's pieces/games, expensive outings and luxuries, and only the highest quality of material to work with.

Bryan's ambition remains similar to how it was before: bringing to life his artistic imagination and creations and showing the world the brilliance of his art. His specific goal now, however, is to mark the world as a whole with his grand origami monuments, serving as testaments to his ingenuity and wonders to be marveled at by everyone. At this point in his career, Bryan doesn't necessarily mind the risks and strife he may encounter in the pursuit of his art. While he prefers to keep his hands clean, if it comes down to it, he is more than willing to kill and sacrifice for his ambition. In terms of his own life, Bryan isn't necessarily keen on giving it up anytime soon-- but if the opportunity arose to create the perfect masterpiece, and his death were to amplify it or be the cost...

The most defining event of Bryan's life before the Contract remains the same in his eyes: the moment where he rediscovered his inspiration to create and share his art with the world. When he started high school, Bryan was a relatively reserved person who preferred to keep his ideas to himself and get lost in his own world of imagination. Most of his passion for creativity had been suppressed and lost at this point, in favor of pursuing a more stable and secure career. However, after stumbling across his school's art room and setting eyes on one of his peer's works-- an oil painting so vibrant and novel that he couldn't look away from it-- Bryan's mentality shifted, and his spark was renewed.