#anyway. chief is a bit of a self destructive tragedy of a man who desperately needs some help and support

[heres-to-all-that-is-mine]

I know nothing about ieytd but I love your art and all your cool little guys. Could you tell me anything about Chief? 👀

Friend I will gladly tell you Most Things about Chief (that I can remember at the moment, anyway). Okay. Here we go!

Matthew, 36 years old, uses they/them and he/him pronouns interchangeably, and primarily goes by “Chief.”

Due to unfortunate circumstances in his younger years, Chief turned to work for a local criminal organisation. He quickly proved to have some kind of talent for it, and rose through the ranks steadily - until he caught the eye of the new Boss, who immediately became invested in him.

At the current moment, he works as the Boss’ right hand. The Boss quite likes them! Chief… does not like the Boss. However, they’re stuck in their position, and going against the boss in any way is as good as a death sentence, so they play along. Though really, he’s not exactly the “right hand” - he’s more just… the Boss’ favourite. A “pet” is how the more disdainful members of the organisation would describe them, though never where anyone prone to gossip can hear them.

Chief would like nothing more than to get away from the whole organisation, get a normal job, lead a normal life. However, things are too messy and dangerous for them to get away, and there’s so much blood on his hands that he’s not sure he deserves it.

He is a rather charming fellow! Well mannered, charismatic in a sense, suave, flirty when he feels like it. But in truth, they form very few attachments. A few flings here and there, some friendly chatter, yes, but nobody could ever really describe themself as their friend.

There’s one guy who comes close - either a journalist or private investigator I don’t remember. The guy’s kinda new to the job, but quite enthusiastic. He interviewed Chief, when he was just starting out, but didn’t know of the man’s role in the organisation (to Chief’s great amusement.) Since then, the two have developed a strange relationship where he keeps pestering Chief and Chief keeps deflecting and playing around with him.

Anyway arguably the Most important event in his story is as follows;

The Boss has this niece. A sweet young thing always dressed for sunny weather, quick to smile, quick to laugh - they take after their mother, a kind woman who died with her husband in an… unfortunate accident.

Anyway, the niece - her name is Sunny (she/they), and she doesn’t like the Boss. In fact, she doesn’t like the whole organisation! So, rather than be stuck with a man she hates in a situation that horrifies her… she runs away, leveraging the threats of revealing their business to the public against the Boss to keep him from coming after her.

Chief… envies them. They got away safe, to a cozy little place by a sunflower field, with enough money to practically retire. She’s living his dream - and with none of the blood on her hands. He’s happy for them, but… wishes it was him.

The Boss isn’t so happy. She’s dangerous, with the knowledge she has, but more than that she’s his family, and they’re defying him. He’s always had a bit of a thing about defiance. In short, he doesn’t like it. So, rather than let them live peacefully away from all of his business, he sends people after them. Not to harm her, of course! She is his niece, after all. But to… talk to her. Persuade her to come back. It never seems to work, though. She’s quite stubborn about the whole business.

So, the Boss sends Chief! Every few months, he gets a break from their duties to take a nice road trip out to a beautiful countryside in the sun and clean air and lack of violence, to have pleasant conversation with a kind young woman who politely yet firmly refuses to come back each time, and then they enjoy some cake and coffee and chatter about nothing much before he inevitably has to go back.

It’s nice! Pleasant. A good change of pace, from the dark, depressing, violent city Chief lives in. Between the crowded streets, perpetual bad weather and towering buildings, they hardly ever see the sun.

…but the Boss is not a patient man, nor an understanding one.

So, after months and months of refusal after refusal (she’s inherited his brother’s awful stubbornness, it seems), he tells Chief that this will be his last visit. They’re going to ask her to come back once more, and when she refuses - (when, not if, Chief notes) - they are going to kill her.

This is when Chief truly, wholly begins to despise the organisation, and especially the Boss.

Not for the first time, but for the first real time, Chief begins to plan to betray his Boss. It’s more desperation than cunning, a hasty plan due to lack of time, but they plan to run away - and take her with him.

…but when they attempt explain that they’ve been ordered to kill Sunny, there’s a misunderstanding. They freak out, lash out at him, and even as he tries to explain it to them they fight him and hurt him and mostly by instinct—!

…he kills her. It was an accident.

……But he’s killed her nonetheless.

He returns home with the good news, and the Boss praises them for it. In the back of their head, they decide they’re not getting out of this alive, but they are going to bring the whole damned organisation down with them. No matter how long it’ll take. Of course, he can’t act immediately - but he’s hiding his time.

In the meantime, the Boss strikes up a deal with a certain corporation, and manufactures a little accident for his favourite employee.

This is where Chief loses the eye and gains a boatload of new scars, including the one on his mouth and the one on their nose (which happens to also be the one that caused the loss of the eye). As a generous replacement, the Boss secures them a cybernetic eye, which would supposedly assist them in their work in some way. It’s unclear - the thing is only a prototype.

…however, Chief leads a dangerous life. After one too many knocks to the head, they’re starting to see strange things out of the corner of their (right) eye, and one in particular looks (heartbreakingly) similar.

Also there’s a kitty in his apartment building named Pistachio, whom he loves :)