(fallen london stamps by I was trying to figure out if Rafael plays for black or red - and I think that if you asked him, he would say he plays for red. partly because it's the most noncommittal thing to say, but also because he's the sort who, fundamentally, does not subscribe to Ideologies.
the closest thing he has to an Ideology is that he:
- cares about and does his best by everyone he meets
- hopes that doing so will bring out the best in them
- believes that when people are empowered to be their best, the world itself inevitably changes for the better
this is at odds with the depiction of red at the Chessboard, and I'm sure that some would argue that this is more black-aligned - the doctor among them, lmao. but Rafael considers himself a red player, and so he is.
This post has content warnings for: vague Railway stuff, deeper lore hints.