Minghua Szeto, PhD's Questionnaire

My main residence is in Hong Kong, a high-rise in the Yau Tsim Mong district. I live there because it is convenient. I was born in Hong Kong, and despite my many travels, it is the city I would call home. My apartment is a large affair, one that I struggle to maintain. I have a large study that is kept in near-constant disarray, filled with many books on Anthropology. While my doctorate is quite general, I do have a fondness for the Norse. Vikings, many people would call them, although that's a bit deceptive - "viking" simply means raider. A job description, as it were. I also have a small kitchen that is barely used, and a bedroom with nothing in it save for a bed and dresser. My home is sparsely decorated, as I find decorations somewhat distracting. I rarely have company.

Every cent I earn goes to expenses. I am well-paid, but I live in an incredibly nice area in an incredibly rich city. Anything outside of basic needs is often covered by my family. I have access to a large amount of wealth, should I need it, but I rarely do. I try to avoid relying on it out of pride, but the knowledge of a safety net is frankly what allows me to take risks in my career and life that have led me to where I am. I have made myself, but would not have had the opportunity to do so without my familial resources.

I desire to learn about the past. So much knowledge has been erased by short-sighted and vindictive tyrants, and even more by those wishing to win wars of propaganda. If I can, I wish to learn everything that has happened, with the intent of being able to prevent humanity from repeating its mistakes. There is so much we don't know, and are still learning, about those that came before us - and while some might consider history to be a pointless subject, it is still our birthright as a species. There is much I am willing to do to achieve my ends, and while I have vast resources at my disposal, one can never have too much. Those that seek to keep knowledge buried may not deserve to live, but if I can, I will spare them to show the error of their ways. I will fight to my last breath to ensure my vision comes to fruition, and I suspect there are other like-minded individuals of which I may ally myself.

The most impactful occurence in my life would be the reading of a book series called The Kane Chronicles, by Rick Riordan. The idea of ancient gods still being alive and having influence on the modern world in a metaphysical way was very novel to me, at the time. I would cite it as the entire basis for why I chose to study anthropology. Later, I would read the Magnus Chase trilogy, which is when I truly became fascinated by Norse culture. While we learn more about the supernatural every day, we rarely learn about the origination of the modern "Confirmed" beings. Their myths that they so very rarely resemble. The various ancient gods of different pantheons, while sometimes honoured by a cult here and there, are not confirmed. It is entirely possible that these deities were in fact supernatural beings - and they may even exist today, weakened of power - just like in Riordan's stories.

The person I speak to most would be Kryss Wong, my valet. They tend to much of the monotonous tasks I overlook in favour of my pursuits, such as meal preparation and transportation. I must embarrassedly admit I would likely have worked myself to the bone if not for them, as I struggle to maintain my physical needs when distracted by work.

Mandi Lee is a co-worker of mine, and while not exactly a friend, we are on friendly terms, as we have neighboring offices. She often has insights that I find valuable, and I try to offer the same when she asks me for aid.

Freya is a cat, and not one named Freya. He lives in my building, and kind of just goes where he pleases. I do not know his actual name, as he appears to be a stray that nobody has bothered to have removed. I would consider Freya my closest friend, as he always seems content to listen to my troubles when I speak then aloud. I have begun to wonder if he might have some sort of supernatural influence, as he always seems to manage to get into my and others apartments no matter how tightly they are locked.

My childhood was fine. My parents are fine. They co-run Jade Szeto Holdings, a Hong Kong conglomerate that flips bankrupting companies. They have always had money to spare, at least since I was young, so I have come to rely on it. I try not to, of course, but knowing that it's there is still a degree of financial aid, even if I never use it. My parents did not wish for me to go to school in a public forum, so I was privately tutored by a handful of teachers hired by a group of families of like mind with my parents. I took school with 4 others, none of whom I remain in contact with. It was fine. It's not easy to fit in a crowd of 5, but I would consider myself to have been the most average of us. Not outstanding, but not requiring extra attention, either. I was fine.

Yes and no. I thought myself in love with an elderly matriarch of whom my parents were business rivals. I was not. Still, it was an interesting learning experience. I suppose everyone experiences the desire to rebel, even against the most utopian of conditions. My parents were fine, but I thought I needed better than fine. Of course, I was just trading one rich benefactor for another, and while my parents forgave me after the whole sordid ordeal was done, they did call me a lot less. Just as well, I suppose. Best they have less opportunities to ask where their money goes.

I fear much. I have much to lose. My worst fears tend to be more about physical harm, these days. I am sure there is not any particular reason for that. I have lost my voice, and since regained it. Speech has never been my tool of choice for navigating confrontation. Generally, I try to appeal to materialistic tendencies, and if that does not work, I back off and get someone else to handle it. I am not completely incompetent in the ways of finance, but I do not have 10 off-shore accounts, either. I fear losing my wealth. It is my power as much as the bag tied to my belt. Wealth is not everything, but when one relies on it enough it can start to feel that way. I know I should invest in philanthropy, and I keep putting it off. I fear being exposed. I am - in every sense of the word - supernatural. I can turn into animals. Blast people with the arcane. Rejuvenate from near-mortal wounds in a matter of days. I am powerful. But I have been shown that I am still nothing. Perhaps I ought to rid the world of people like them. Perhaps I ought to become like them. I fear becoming like them.

Take a fucking guess.

Objects mean little to me. All of them can be replaced, when you have the amount for money I do. I am not bragging, I am staying a fact: I do not need to worry about physical possessions. I can always buy another. Do I want to? Not necessarily. But I can.

One item is an outlier. Whether I would seem it prized is another matter. But Gebo goes everywhere I do. It does not matter how odd it looks - I am the child of billionaires - what I say, goes.

It is a small request. "Just a little pouch. You will barely notice it." And they do not. To them, it is nothing. To me, it is everything. The hope for my future. To uncover the past. I seek knowledge. I seek power. I possess some, but one day I intend to possess much, much more.

My biggest problem is that I have near-infinite resources and have not the slightest clue of what to do with them. That is not really a problem for me, per se, but for all the people I could be helping. Or hurting. I still have yet to decide if I am evil. But I am leaning towards "probably not".

The second biggest problem is that I have to participate in life-threatening and oft-supernatural odd-jobs on a monthly basis in order to get stronger. I suppose it is meant to be cyclical. I want power, then I do a job for it, then I do something cool, then I want power. It really is brutal.

I do not want power to help the world. I already have that. The question becomes - how *do* I help the world? With money? It is not like it is *my* money, and my share of it is not enough to substantially affect the status quo. I must ponder it.

Skincare, stretches, study, sustenance.

I use moisturizer. Not any particular one, nor do I have a routine. I have a large stash that I have collected and been gifted over the years, and I haphazardly select one or two at random each day. I am told skincare is important, but that is the most amount of effort I am willing to dedicate to it on a daily basis.

I try to do low-intensity exercises every day. Physical fitness is incredibly important, both for long-term health and short-term survival. I keep cardio to a minimum, because it is very boring, but I make sure to keep all aspects of my body in good condition.

I like reading in the morning. It does not matter what. I have no preference. Poetry is good, but studies tend to be more useful in my day-to-day, so I have been sticking with those lately.

I eat separately, and last. I do not consume anything other than food while I am eating. Usually I eat whatever I threw together the night before, and even when I am eating cold leftovers, I try to put as much effort into consumption as possible, so as not to become distracted. It is an odd ritual I have picked up, but I find focusing on the taste and texture of food while I eat has sharpened my other senses as well.

Who cares?

The activities of the über-rich is far too heavily covered in mass media, and it is definitely a problem. Forget high fashion, both the fact that rich people feel the need to share every function they go to and that some people actually care are poxes on civilization. If there is to be real, lasting, and sudden fixes - attitudes need to change.

I do not put much stock in appearances. I dress comfortably, with the how people perceive me in mind, and focus on little else. I reuse outfits constantly, because I do not think it matters. Amusingly, on every contract I have been on, I have always had the same scarf and the same pants. I wonder if that is intentional on their part.

Either way - it would not take me long to dress for a special occasion - I would not do anything extra to prepare, and thus nothing would change. I would not care to "look my best".

I reiterate - who cares?

For the past 3 years, I have celebrated my birthday with my co-workers. Much to my own chagrin. They claim that my lack of a social life is the reason I feel the need to do so little, and that I need to live more. Now, all I can think about is living.

I do not know if I will even make it to my next birthday. I intend to. But it is a distinct possibility that I will never celebrate it. If that is to be the case, why waste time planning it months ahead of schedule?

I regret nothing. Regrets are a poison that kills you every day. There is no use crying over spilled milk. I try to treat irreversible decisions with the respect they deserve, and that is the most that us mere mortals can do. Perhaps, had I time control abilities, I might pore over my missteps and mistakes. But I gain no value from it, so I do not. It is as simple as that. There are things that I could have done differently that would have led to different results, but those hypothetical worlds might be much worse than the one I reside in, among an uncountable number of other variables that would or might have changed. It is best to live in the present and plan for the future, for dwelling on the last brings no value. Analyzing what went wrong is one thing, but wistfully lining for a world that does not and never will exist is pure idiocy.

None of the above, I think. My desire is to master the arcane - I have not achieved that in the slightest. I have been given a very powerful artefact that acts as a medium through which I can *appear* to master the arcane, but without that item I would be nearly powerless. The one ability I have developed seperate from Gebo is the ability to transform into animals, but even that is limited to two forms. Not that I am ungrateful - but there are certainly ways I could be much stronger. I do not know if shapeshifting is an inherent potential of mine, but in media such things tend to be genetic. Perhaps I could ask my parents. Either way, for all their strength, my powers are limited to items - and items can be taken away. I remain vigilant to any sort of people who might wish to rob me - but I fear that if someone powerful enough wanted to, they could handily dispatch me and leave me powerless.