jade leech is one of the most overlooked characters in the fandom and it’s honestly kind of insane considering how unsettling he actually is
because unlike azul, who is openly shady, or floyd, who is openly unpredictable, jade hides everything behind perfect composure
jade isn’t chaotic in the way floyd is. floyd feels things strongly and acts on them in the moment. jade, on the other hand, is controlled. intentional
he knows exactly what he’s doing
and more importantly, he enjoys it
whether it’s gathering information, manipulating people, or putting others in uncomfortable situations just to see how they react, jade consistently chooses the option that makes things more “interesting” for him
his sadism isn’t explosive, it’s quiet
it’s the way he smiles while doing something that clearly benefits him at someone else’s expense
the illusion of obedience
on the surface, jade looks like the perfect vice housewarden. polite, composed, always standing behind azul, always following orders
but that’s not submission
jade doesn’t follow azul because he has to. he follows him because he wants to. because azul is interesting, because being around him gives jade access to more opportunities to observe, manipulate, and involve himself in situations that entertain him
he’s not being controlled
he’s placing himself there
and that’s why people like trey misunderstand him
from the outside, it looks like jade is suppressing himself, like he’s holding back his own thoughts to stay in line. but in reality, jade is exactly where he wants to be, doing exactly what he wants to do
he just doesn’t need to be in the spotlight to do it
jade actively avoids attention
he downplays his own abilities, redirects focus onto others, and presents himself as less important than he actually is
it’s much easier to observe people when they don’t see you as a threat
and jade takes full advantage of that
he gathers information on everyone. their habits, their secrets, their weaknesses. not necessarily because he needs it, but because he likes having it. he likes knowing things others don’t
it gives him control without ever needing to step forward
one of the most defining things about jade is that he operates on interest, not morality
he doesn’t do things because they’re right or wrong
he does them because they’re interesting
this is why he stays with azul. why he indulges floyd. why he inserts himself into situations where he can observe reactions, push boundaries, and see what happens next
even something as small as cooking becomes an experiment to him. not just in skill, but in reaction. how people respond, what they say, how far he can push something before it becomes too much
he treats people like variables
what makes jade so fascinating is the contradiction he embodies
he looks like order. he acts like order. he presents himself as someone refined, controlled, predictable
but his pet peeve is “organized harmony”
he doesn’t actually like when everything works smoothly
he likes when things break pattern, when people react unexpectedly, when situations turn just slightly uncomfortable
because that’s when things become interesting to him
jade leech is not the calm one of octavinelle
he’s just the one who knows how to hide it best
