Hi Noodie, I realize that I talked about inspiration for the other rogues but avoid talking too much about Jeth's mentality because I do not in any way, want to condone or justify his harmful behaviors (IRL, I wouldn't be in the same room with him LOL) but since this is fiction I think it's interesting to explore these personalities, I will explain a bit of my thinking when creating and writing Jeth. For those who might be disturbed by Jeth behaviors, that is a totally natural and valid reaction and you don't have an obligation to explore his character. But for those who are curious and love to dive into the rogues of this series-
WARNING- JETH IS A HOT MESS*****************************************************
Jeth is my take on a "yandere" type character. Admittedly, I'm not normally a "fan" of this archtype, but I often like to explore things that are not usually my thing as to better understand and appreciate it. Most of this behaviors are "theoretical" in my mind, but sadly his more sociopathic behaviors are based on real toxic dynamics that I have personally experienced and witnessed many of the people in my life endure. The part that is most fictional, is his actual love and devotion for the TO....
Firstly, he is a professional assassin and the only character that despite the normalization of violence and killing in this world, is truly remorseless. My mind can't place myself in the shoes of a sadist individual that derives pleasure from inflicting harm so rather than explain his behavior as sadistic, I had to have him cope with his violence through detachment. He's simply numbed himself from his humanity to do his job that he was always trained for, by developing a jaded and bitter disdain for the world as a whole. A true nihilist. He sees the world as a dog eat dog, play for power, where those who are the cruelist and most ruthless will always exploit those who are more selfless. Since he feels that ironically those who grasp power will also be "ruled" by it in the end, a hopeless struggle to hold an illusion that humans in a world created by gods, can't truly possess. he prefers to situate himself adjacent to power, tip the scales here and there and watch to see if his world view can be challenged. In an odd way, Jeth and Ruwin could probably relate in their disillusioned views of their world and structures of power, but their approaches to tackling this problem in their minds are irreconcilably different. Ruwin's more naive and simple way of thinking makes it easier for him to be persuaded in the possibility of more hopeful, brighter future, filled with personal redemption and fulfilling human connections.
Jeth is originally interested in the power and potential the TO presents and will kill them very early on in the game if he feels the TO is more trouble than it would be worth. But it's not long before he falls hard for the TO, as they spark a hope in him of a world and people outside his jaded existence. Maybe he could've been capable of love outside the TO, but the TO being from another world was the catalyst that opened his heart to his humanity. Perhaps he always saw himself aloofly looking at the world from the outside, and the TO as a true outsider, he felt he could connect with them. This is what he's referring to when he says the TO is untainted/pure, he means in the sense of not dirtied by the senseless crap of their world. When the TO rejects him, he's devastated and is surprised by his own desperate emotions. He marks the TO with a scar if the TO keeps seeing him, even after he told them to stay away if they weren't interested in a relationship. as a warning to stay as far away from him as possible. This is also probably to be taken with a grain of salt, but I researched where Jeth (an expert killer) would probably cut someone in as a warning but with as little actual harm as possible. Don't look at my search history U___U;;; And yes, at that point in the sequence of rejections, he's prepared to be rejected again and regardless of how carefully he did it, it's still an absolutely unacceptable way of setting a boundary, Jeth go to jail for assault, ok?)) It's bad of him, but he'd rather be hated and shunned by the TO than dragged along in some amicable way, and keeping his (now painful) emotions and hope alive. As eluded to in his aftermath conversations if you bond 5 him but not bond 6, he will be very mad at himself and bitterly admit that he still can't stop himself from wanting to throw himself pathetically at the TO (aka is unable to kill the hope of love and connection).
This is attitude towards his own world vs TO's other world is also why he is much calmer and more willing to listen and cooperate when he's in the TO's world in Gacha Date. He wants to believe in a better world, life and relationship for himself and the TO. When in an official relationship with the TO, he won't harm them and will not force himself on them (tho he sulks a bit if refused), though he's still couldn't care less about destroying anything and anyone from his world, if he felt if the benefits would outweigh the costs. Like on some level, he knows the TO will be upset with killing everyone in his return ending, but he feels he must take the iniative to do the dirty work to fulfill the TO's wish, when the TO is to selfless to do so. A bit too twisted to say it's well meaning... one probably avoid dating assassins.
I try to give the player a bit of power over Jeth, so if the player doesn't like him, they can enjoy seeing his mask slip, and know he's made to feel powerless in his frustrations (the TO living rent free in his mind and haunting him for the rest of his life XD;;;)
How much of this I was able to protray, I don't know since he's not exactly one to just explain himself plainly, nor do I think he's fully aware of his own coping mechanisms. Originally, he was a bit too controlled and calculating, that I thought his true personality would never be unveiled enough, so maybe that's another reason why he flip flops from charming to an unhinged freak LOL.
