Casting "Friends" and canceling it repeatedly is a super efficient GTFO mechanic.
But again, not how trust works. I think you never explicitly say or have to stay that you won't take over the Brain and I feel the companions are still justified in feeling betrayed when you do. Lae'zel probably never told you that she would never threaten you again if you do something incredibly stupid either. You might have noticed she isn't someone to talk things out over tea and biscuits. I mean, I think I understand what you want, but I do get why they react the way they do, so I don't quite understand the outrage - or much of the reasoning.
But I wonder, in the title you wrote about "friend companions" but wrote exclusively about the girls' romances (minus Minthara) so what makes the rest of the gang bad friends? And how can you think this way about Scratch?
