Polymythos Application

[greggs]

PLAYER INFO

Name: Lee
Age: 30+
Contact: dingus
Current Characters: N/A

CHARACTER INFO

Name: Gregory Hirsch
Age: Somewhere between 25-30??? It's unclear.
Appearance: Pale, dark hair, blue eyes, 6'7".

Canon: Succession
Canon Point: End of Season 3's finale.

History: Wiki Link

Abilities: Abnormal height is his only superpower... average guy from modern day US/Canadian society.

Questionnaire:

1. What do they care deeply about? What kind of loyalties, commitments, moral codes, life philosophies, passions, callings or spirituality and faith do they have? How do these tend to be expressed?

The company that Greg works for is called ATN, which is meant to be a fictional stand-in for Fox News. It's a right-wing, conservative media conglomerate that peddles falsehoods, stokes anti-minority sentiments and flirts with fascism. None of this goes unnoticed by Greg, who seems to think of himself as a liberal at heart. He's expressed discomfort about ATN being "a very toxic element in the culture", he's made career/life-risking moves by helping to reveal damning corporate scandals to the public, and yet...

As things progress, climbing higher helps him live exceptionally well, which corrupts him until there's barely any pretense of a principled person left. It's debatable if that person ever really existed. His number one priority is his own survival in the cutthroat corporate landscape he's ultimately reluctant to leave. In general, he likes to play all sides and feel out the atmosphere before he commits to anything or anyone fully. If you ask him what he believes in, he'll tell you whatever he thinks you want to hear or concoct the most amorphous, conflict-avoidant reply possible. Simple as that.

2. What kind of person could they become in the future? What are some developmental paths that they could take: best, worst, most likely?

One of Greg's most frustrating qualities that he doesn't really think long term. He has a tendency to react, not reflect. His priorities are having a good time in the present and staying out of trouble.

Most likely: he remains in the same cycles. Greg resists positive change like it's his life's work to NEVER grow as a person. He appears to have a passion for backing up in reverse.

Worst: so instead he's leaning into the savvy corporate asshole look, quite literally willing to sell his soul for a higher rank. He puts it in these words. It's a problem because a) he doesn't like to be challenged by the scenarios he puts himself in and b) having to do, hide and experience more and more dark, unsettling shit might just break him instead of harden him. He's not nearly tough enough for the career he wants in the top ranks.

Best: he leaves ATN (preferably with his life partner slash husband yes the show is really hinting at them becoming real husbands one day) and learns how to nurture his good qualities, like being kind, gentle, easy-going. He finds out he can be content in a normal environment with a normal life. He goes to therapy.

3. How do they behave within a group? What role(s) do they take? Does this differ if they know and trust the group, versus finding themselves in a group of strangers? Why?

Greg will usually do whatever needs to be done to be useful, which can make him reliable in a pinch. I get the sense that being in the direct spotlight is too uncomfortable for him, but a background servant role? That's perfect, keeps his hands relatively clean(er) and keeps eyes off of him if things go sour. On the other hand, he likes to be noticed, valued and appreciated as important to everyone. It's hard wanting everything all of the time.

If he doesn't trust the group, expect selfish and calculating behavior. As calculating as Greg can be, anyway. Every move he makes will be weighed in terms of the pros/cons for himself. He'll latch on to strong/important seeming people and bounce between them. He'll leverage information. Developing morals or fixed loyalty could flit through the mind, but give it another second and - poof. It's gone. Loyalty usually comes once he feels absolutely positive that he is not gonna get screwed over in any circumstance, and unfortunately he's pretty paranoid about that.

4. What do they need and want out of relationships, and how do they go about getting it?

Greg just wants someone to take care of him. He wants to feel protected and secure. Trading anything he can offer to get whatever he wants or needs is always on the table as he doesn't mind relationships of convenience. I think if he can measure his value to a person like counting currency, that makes him more comfortable and daring about getting closer to them. He does want truly affectionate, loving relationships of all stripes, and I think he goes soft if he's convinced he has that for real, but frankly... he'll take what he can get!

5. How do they understand the world–what kind of worldview and thought processes do they have? Why?

You can boil this down to "scarcity mindset" for Greg's thought processes. He's a rat running through a maze looking for treats and shortcuts to the detriment of focusing on anything else. If he receives something good? Likely he's gonna want more, always chasing the high of living lavishly. As the only one in the cast to touch living in poverty in NYC, and coming from what was relatively the poorest background compared to his new family, he's become obsessed with surviving and possibly thriving among them. He had a pretty aimless and pointless existence before the Roys became a steady part of his life and so, for better or worse, his self-worth is now tied up in their world.

6. How much do they rely on their minds and intellect, versus other approaches like relying on instinct, intuition, faith and spirituality, or emotions?

I think Greg mainly relies on instinct. He has a brain when he wants to use it, sometimes, but it's instinct/intuition driving him most of the time and it's not working out too well for him.

7. What is something others might find intolerable about them?

Forgive me I have a list...

- Flighty and insecure
- Appears spineless, weak
- Agrees with whoever has spoken to him last
- Tries to get you to feel bad for him for arguably manipulative reasons
- Panics easily and then is super annoying about it
- Whiny and needy sometimes
- Might be kind of a liar
- The RAMBLING he can say so much while saying nothing at all
- Just fucking weird and awkward

The only thing that makes him hardy is that he can stack insults, verbal assaults and emotional damage like it's nothing. He'll just compartmentalize it and remember it later. Life is so simple.

Samples:

- Ellie
- Top level with Chloe, Travis & Kamui