opal, lapis, malachite, and pyrite? :)
Since the Mass Effect obsession has returned FULL force, we're going with Adrian!
Opal - What motivates your protagonist to complete their goal?
FOG. I'm... not entirely kidding, like 75% of Adrian's motivation throughout the series is, in fact, a combo of: Fear, Obligation, and Guilt; the remaining 25% is split between spite and a deep sense of justice and love for the galaxy - which, honestly, is where the fear comes from, too. She's afraid of being found a fraud... but more than that, she's afraid of what will happen if she doesn't take up the mantle she's been handed, because regardless of her feelings? There's so much to the galaxy. So many good people, so many people who deserve a chance to do better, so many who may be bastards but are probably mostly bastards because of systems put into place long before they existed, and they should get to have a chance, too; and as much as she doesn't want to do this... she's afraid that if she doesn't? No one else will.
Lapis - What makes your antagonist 'the bad guy'?
Blue and orange ultra-longterm view morality aside - They want to kill everything beyond the most barely sapient creatures xD As far as Cerberus goes - Plain old racism and extremism, honestly. Their goals could have been noble enough; trying to prove humanity has plenty to offer despite being the newcomers to the galaxy, but uhhhh yeah no that didn't quite happen.
Malachite - What do the characters have to lose?
Everyone and everything they've ever known lol Mass Effect goes for high stakes. On a personal level... Adrian, on the one hand: has a career and reputation to lose, if the truth ever gets out/she owns up to what went down on Akuze. On the other: Has her own happiness and well-being to lose by continuing to play along and remain in the Alliance. She's also likely to lose at least part of her family, if she ever quit. (It's why I'm finally caving and working a Shepard Lives AU - the consequences of her staying alive are, honestly, pretty interesting to explore!)
Pyrite - Could the antagonist and protagonist ever be friends?
For the Reapers? Honestly, Adrian's enough of a deep sea & tech nerd with a passing interest in history that she /would/ like to interact with them in a non-hostile manner! For Cerberus and The Illusive Man? ... look Adrian doesn't like killing (and yes you're probably wondering, 'sir why are you still a soldier-' see FOG up above) but TIM is one of the times she would willingly, and indeed, /happily/ end a life.
