Character Interview: Tempe Donoghue

I had to revise and re-post this interview - I apologize for any confusion.
It is time! Two weeks ago you all were invited to ask Tempe any question you could think of. Now, finally, I deliver to you all your answers! (It may be helpful, for the purpose of fully understanding this interview, to go read the post where I started the interview. There is some background information about Tempe there.)
*waves my security guards in* I don't trust her. She's a villain, after all.
To those of you who asked questions, you have my love forever. *gives you all cake* You guys are awesome.

Finished this this week, just in time for the interview. :) By Annika Smith. Copied and adapted from this piece by Heteferes @ Deviant Art.

*Tempe walks in, dressed in skin-tight black pants, black heeled boots, and a black v-neck tank top. Her scorpion Sebastian is on her shoulder*
Well, I didn't actually call you in yet - 
No matter. You asked me to come, I decided to show up, and now I'm here. Are you going to complain about a few seconds, darling?
Fine. Couldn't you have left the scorpion at home, though?
I could have, but I didn't want to. Why, does he bother you? *strokes his back with a fingertip*
*watches the stinger* Sure, of course a poisonous scorpion doesn't bother me. As long as he stays over there with you.
You've got quite the case of paranoia, darling. Regardless, don't we have a list of questions to get through?

*wrenches gaze from Sebastian* Yes, we do. Here's the first: Since you like make-up and fashion, but are also an environmentalist, do you choose mineral based make-up products that haven't been tested on animals and other eco-friendly products?
Eco-friendly products, yes, as long as they aren't ridiculously expensive. I don't worry myself about what I use too much, since realistically, one woman deciding not to buy certain things won't make a difference. No, my plan is larger than that. Change will only happen if the entire nation, or even the world, was in on it or forced to comply.
So you're dismissing a campaign you support as useless?
Not at all, darling. Their cause is right, but their methods are not. They need to focus on the populace, not silly boycotts.

I see. What was your first pet? Do you still have it?
My first pet was a Russian Dwarf hamster named Pluto. No, not after the Disney dog. I had a phase when I wanted to be an astronaut.
. . . Really?
Don't look at me like that, darling. Women handle g-forces better than men - I would have been an excellent astronaut.
I think you would have gotten space-shuttle-fever. I guess you don't still have the hamster?
Oh, love, of course not! He died from a disease when I was eleven!

How sad. What kind of dishes do you like to cook? 
Ha! Cook? I wouldn't call it that, darling. It makes it sound like the products of my kitchen are edible.
I know you do do some level of cooking. Quality is besides the point. Answer the question.
*sigh* Most of the time I stay away from ovens and stoves, since they always seem to be involved in the worst disasters. I make a lot of salads, sprinkled with grains and fruit and nuts. I can make instant oatmeal without too much risk, and I'll add some nutmeg and apple to that, but I've never been able to successfully cook an egg. When I am feeling extraordinarily brave I roast beef or grill a steak or chicken breast. There is this wonderful lime and ginger marinade that I use on the chicken, absolutely delicious served with quinoa and spinach.

I have absolutely no idea if that sounds good or not. But aside from cooking, what are your weak spots?
*narrows eyes slyly* Typically love, the fingers are a very weak portion of human anatomy as they are very easy to break.
Don't be devious. 
I'm always devious, darling. *flutters fingers* However, I was merely toying with you. I have been told once or twice that I am intimidating, which means people don't exactly get an instant feeling of trust in my presence. *clicks tongue* Quite annoying, as it makes it harder to get information, but with my height, there isn't much I can do to change it.
You could cut back on the eyeliner and body piercings, not wear heals, and wear a color other than black.
Even without them I would still intimidate some people. If I can't get rid of the effect entirely, why not enhance it and take advantage of it? Besides that, I find it difficult to understand emotional motives of people. Logic and strategy I can predict and prepare for, but people who are driven by emotion are unpredictable. With my low levels of empathy, I sometimes make mistakes in predicting the emotionally-driven actions of others.
I'm surprised at how forthcoming you are.
But why, darling? There is no one reading who can hurt me.
Well, I'm here.
But love, you already know all there is to know about me. *smiles*

I'm not certain of that. What are some kinds of magic you can use?

If Tempe's magic was somehow captured,
it would look like this. Original pin found
here, by David Spriggs.

Ah, now this is a more dangerous question. *pauses to think, Sebastian swaying on her shoulder* First you must understand that there are two fundamental types of magic, and each type has several levels of usage. The first is hard to use, as it requires the magician to form a bond with magic. The magic has to approve of the magician, and then it will allow its power to be used as long as motives remain pure. For this reason, not many people achieve usage of this kind of magic, and once they do achieve it, reliability can be suspect. I used to use this kind of magic, back before I found out about my father's betrayal, since it is the kind the Mage League uses.
A branch of this kind of magic is called Interpretation. It is exceedingly difficult to master since the bond between magic and magician must be strong enough that the magician can actually sense some of magic's . . . personality, if you will excuse me for lack of a better term. Using the bond, an Interpreter will look at a person's Birthmark and then spend a few hours meditating while connected to magic. After a while - the time varies depending on magician and Birthmark - the magician will know the Destiny behind the birthmark. I am an Interpreter, and a very powerful one at that. Strong Interpreters don't even have to see a birthmark in order to find out someone's Destiny.
The second type of magic is the opposite of the first. It is easy to access and is drawn to strong emotion, which means that this is the kind of magic that people with the right genes can use accidentally even if they've never even thought about magic before. This magic doesn't choose who will use it and so is accessible for any purpose. It is the kind I use now that I am no longer a Mage, but a sorceress.
(Actually, I am currently revising the entire system of "magic" and will probably be changing this to a Christian allegory, and will re-design my world-building - so Tempe's information is sort of out-of-date).

Wow. Thanks for the magicology lesson. Do you regret killing all the people at your trial?
Would you be horrified if I said "no?"
Yes, but I didn't expect you to say "yes" -
No, I don't. Do you know why? They were all there to celebrate the Mage League's victory, my shaming, and Zak's death. They wanted to be close to my battle with the Mage League - they only got the expected for getting too close.

*frowns* Well, we have differing opinions on that. Is your father still living? If so, do you two have any confrontations in the book?
Yes, much to my chagrin, he lives. I've been trying to find out where - he's under a witness protection program right now, I think. I don't know about any book, love, but I have no idea where he is so I doubt I'll be able to fulfill my chiefest dream and . . . confront him anytime soon.

So are you still bottling a lot of resentment and anger?

*laughs darkly* I let it out in small doses, love, so I don't explode all at once. But don't worry - *picks Sebastian up from her shoulder and cups him in her hands* - I have plenty stored for when I need it.

I know. If you could change your Destiny, would you?
*pauses* What an odd question, darling. Most consider Destiny to be something unchangeable. But then again . . . a Destiny can be faked, as I have learned. *lets Sebastian walk out onto her shoulder* No, I don't believe I would, love. I've had it changed once and it turned my life upside-down. I've grown quite comfortable in my new upside-down world, and if it got turned upright again I think I wouldn't adjust very well.

Interesting. How did you meet Zak? 
*cocks her head to the side and smiles slyly* It was all my own fault, darling, me and my curiosity about what I still thought back then was the dark side. I was still working as a Mage and Interpreter in the Mage League, but my loyalty had long been gone. When I saw Zak just inside town I recognized his Destiny immediately, though he had disguised himself so that I couldn't recognize him from the photograph on his "wanted" posters. He was going into a motel, so I offered to let him stay in my spare bedroom instead. He accepted after some persuasion, and that night I dropped hints about my own distaste for the Mage League. He ended up leaving within a few days, but he came back to see me several times and eventually confessed to me who he was - though I of course already knew. I didn't let on though, because if he'd known I was an Interpreter he would have known I worked in the Mage League. *chuckles* That didn't stay a secret for much longer though.

What did Zak have against the Mage League?
Darling, remember me mentioning how some people can use the second kind of magic accidentally? That was the case with Zak. His mother worked at a small convenience store, and one day when he dropped in to visit her he walked in on a hold-up. She was being held at gun-point by some escaped criminal. His emotions flared and he used his first magic, and ended up paralyzing the would-be thief. But instead of the Mage League and police department being grateful for his help in capturing a criminal, they made him one for his use of magic without a Mage Certification. Bureaucratic nonsense.

I didn't know that. Here's an interesting one: if you could bring Zak back to life by ending the war, would you do it? 
He wouldn't want me to. He would rather the fight against the injustice of the Mage League be carried on than himself getting longer to live. I miss him dearly, but given the opportunity I know he would rather stay dead and me stay fighting. One of us doing it is better than none. *reaches up to stroke Sebastian fondly*

What are your deepest fears?
*snorts* You want to hear my childhood nightmares of the monsters under the bed, do you? Mine isn't under the bed, it is alive and it permeates the continent. Do you know how many people have been made lonely and persecuted by the Mage League? Myself, Zak, and thousands of people who find themselves in a stressful situation with the right genes to sense magic. An accident, and they become criminals. A Destiny they can't control, and they're victimized until they snap and are slapped with the criminal label they've really worn since birth. Poor Mara dear is another example of the injustice. It needs to end. My fear is that it never will, and I will die as just another victory to add to the Mage League's propaganda campaign.

I see how passionate you are about this. Speaking of Mara, what do you think Ace and Mara's fears are?
*puckers lips* That poor victimized girl. She is scared that she will never be respected as she should be. That she will never be loved, or be able to walk down a street without drawing glares of judgement. *sighs in exasperation* She is also terrified of the idea of her Destiny coming true, which is ridiculous. It wouldn't be the end of the world - mine was fulfilled and I'm doing just fine.
I have never really met Julian Harrod, or Ace, as everyone seems to call him. I can't speak for him, but from what Mara, the darling, has told me, he is positively possessed with thoughts of Destiny. Everything is Destiny-this and Destiny-that. I wouldn't be surprised if deep down under it all he's actually terrified of not fulfilling his Destiny somehow. It makes me wonder . . . never mind. But don't you think it is deliciously ironic that their fears are opposites? *grins*

Much like their Destinies. What do you think Mara's weak spots are? Will you take advantage of that? 
*laughs, trailing off into a sigh* Mara has a few things to work on, love. Number one, being her emotional control. One strong gust of feeling and she's flying off to do who knows what. The other is how much she cares about other people's opinions, and I'll admit to taking advantage of that one. *smirks* She wanted someone to understand and commiserate with her, and I provided such a person. It wasn't very hard to win her trust. A few words of encouragement and she came to visit me nearly every day after school.
How sweet of you. *blank stare*
Don't judge me, love. Mara gained a much-needed friend and mentor, and I gained a companion and apprentice in my lonely existence. We both benefited.

I'll ignore the fact that you're understating your actions. What are Ace's weak spots?
He is much too overconfident in his own abilities. He's so swelled with thoughts of his own importance in the world that one day he will spontaneously explode, destroying himself. Just like a balloon pumped with too much air. From what I hear his arrogance and obsession with Destiny is alienating his team, making him ineffective in squelching the divides between other team members. His Mage Team is full of cracks - all I have to do is land a blow in the right spot and it will shatter.

Right, well that is the end of the questions. Thank you very much, Tempe, for coming, even if you did arrive too early. . . where did she go? *looks around* She's gone already. At least she took the scorpion with her. At least, I hope she did . . . *starts looking under the furniture*

Tempe is an interesting antagonist - certainly a contrast to my other WIP's antag, Keir, who isn't actually evil and doesn't actually scare me sometimes. What is your antagonist like? Do they refuse to break cliche and wear something other than black, like Tempe? xD Thanks for reading, everyone, and to those of you who submitted questions, I'll say again that you're amazing. If anyone has further questions, I'll be happy to answer them in the comments.