| 1 | '''WARNING: May contain untagged spoilers. Browse at your own risk.''' |
| 2 | |
| 3 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 4 | |
| 5 | !!The Syndicate |
| 6 | [[folder:Monarch]] |
| 7 | !! Heroine: Monarch |
| 8 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tumblr_p47v1fapgn1w2tdceo1_1280.png]] |
| 9 | |
| 10 | The player character, a new intern at Optimus who has a fateful encounter with one of the members of the Syndicate, beginning her new life as a super-powered "villain." |
| 11 | ---- |
| 12 | * AstralProjection: In Juliette's route, Monarch gains the ability to pull Juliette's astral self to her. |
| 13 | * BarrierWarrior: In Lorelei's second season, Monarch is able to shield both herself and Lorelei using her powers. |
| 14 | * ButterflyOfTransformation: In Duke's and Juliette's routes, the butterfly theme is noted as appropriate for someone who's coming into her powers. |
| 15 | * ColorMotif: Red/pink, denoting her as the main protagonist and someone who follows her heart. |
| 16 | * ComboPlatterPowers: Telekinesis, telepathy/empathy, and fire. |
| 17 | * TheEmpath: When she develops telepathy, she can also share feelings with her love interest. |
| 18 | * HelloInsertNameHere: Her code name is fixed, but her personal name is determined by the player. |
| 19 | * TheIntern: Landing an internship at Optimus is what first brings her into contact with the members of the Syndicate. |
| 20 | * MindOverMatter: She discovers early in the first season that she has the power of telekinesis, and learns to control and develop it as the story progresses. |
| 21 | * TheMole: After she comes to the attention of the Syndicate, they take advantage of her internship at Optimus to have her feed them information from the inside. She's reluctant at first, but quickly becomes a willing participant as she learns more about the company's true nature. |
| 22 | * NaiveNewcomer: New to both Optimus and the whole superpowers business, allowing the rest of the main cast plenty of opportunities to explain things for her and the audience, and allowing the reader to gradually discover the truth along with her as she becomes more and more involved in the Syndicate's mission. |
| 23 | * NoSenseOfDirection: Has a tendency to get lost easily. |
| 24 | * NotQuiteFlight: Once she develops her telekinesis enough, she can use it to boost herself from the ground to the roof of a building, from building to building, or over barriers. |
| 25 | * PerceptionFilter: She manages to keep some Optimus guards from seeing her and Lorelei with her powers at one point in Lorelei's season two. |
| 26 | * PlayingWithFire: Develops pyrokinesis in Duke, Lorelei, and Juliette's fourth seasons and Renzei's third. |
| 27 | * PowerGlows: Her telekinesis produces a magenta glow. |
| 28 | * PowerIncontinence: When her telepathy first manifests itself on Duke's and Lorelei's routes, she doesn't have much control over it and frequently broadcasts her thoughts to the rest of the team whenever she's flustered. She quickly learns better control, but still occasionally slips. |
| 29 | * PrettyButterflies: Her code name, in keeping with the Syndicate's theme of animal aliases, refers to the monarch butterfly, and she wears a butterfly-shaped mask when in costume. The name and motif are suggested for her by the love interest of each route. |
| 30 | * {{Telepathy}}: She develops the power of telepathy along with her telekinesis. At first, it only allows her to project her thoughts to her teammates (not always on purpose, especially when the power first emerges). Later, her love interest is able to project to her as well. In Duke's case, they initially need [[TouchTelepathy to be touching]] to send thoughts to each other, but Monarch is later able to project to him without touching him. |
| 31 | * TraumaticSuperPowerAwakening: In every route, her powers first manifest when she’s in danger. |
| 32 | [[/folder]] |
| 33 | |
| 34 | [[folder:Wolf]] |
| 35 | !! Duke Vale: Wolf |
| 36 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/duke_11.jpg]] |
| 37 | [[caption-width-right:350:The Ice Wolf]] |
| 38 | |
| 39 | The [=CEO=] of [=ChatSphere=], and leader of the Syndicate. |
| 40 | ---- |
| 41 | * AstonishinglyAppropriateAppearance: He has MysticalWhiteHair, IcyBlueEyes, and a SugarAndIcePersonality to go with his ice powers. |
| 42 | * BadassLongcoat: Both his street clothes and his Wolf uniform include a long black coat which flies dramatically out behind him in action [=CGs=]. |
| 43 | * ColorMotif: Blue, evoking calm and control as well as the cold of his power. |
| 44 | * DeclarationOfProtection: At several occasions during his route, he promises Monarch that he will never let anything bad happen to her. |
| 45 | * ElementalEyeColors: He has light blue eyes to go with his ice powers. |
| 46 | * ElementalPersonalities: Cool, reserved, and standoffish (at least on the outside) to suit his ice power. He's also been into ice skating since he was a child, even before his powers manifested, prompting Bat to call him a stereotype. |
| 47 | * HeroicBSOD: At the beginning of his fourth season, the discovery that [[spoiler:Optimus has wiped his parents' memories]] sends him into an emotional meltdown. He's almost catatonic the first evening and spends several days afterward clinging as close to Monarch as she'll allow. |
| 48 | * AnIcePerson: Duke's power is to generate ice and cold. He has a very high degree of control and versatility, ranging from making massive walls and slides of ice to generating a gentle cool from his fingertips for an impromptu cold compress. |
| 49 | * IcyBlueEyes: His eyes are a pale and piercing blue, suiting both his super-power and his chilly facade. |
| 50 | * TheLeader: Duke is the primary decision-maker for the Syndicate and the one who keeps the other members of the team on task. He admits to Monarch in his second season that he considers himself only a temporary leader, however, as the Syndicate's founder and original leader [[spoiler:Ezekiel]] went AWOL some time prior to the beginning of the story. [[spoiler:When Zeke returns in Duke's third season, he officially abdicates leadership to Duke rather than attempt to resume the position.]] |
| 51 | * {{Leitmotif}}: His [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5xpUC9PJh0 theme music]] has reverberation for a distant and cool sound. |
| 52 | * MeaningfulName: "Duke", as the highest title of nobility, befits a rich CEO. It's also a common name for pet dogs. |
| 53 | * MarriedToTheJob: Between running [=ChatSphere=] and leading the Syndicate, one gets the impression that there isn't much in Duke's life other than work. He freely admits that Monarch is far from the first person to tell him that he works too much and acknowledges that it's a problem, but - at least up until she came into his life - there's been nothing else he's cared about enough to give him a reason to change. |
| 54 | * {{Nephewism}}: Was adopted by his aunt and uncle after his parents [[spoiler:seemingly]] died. It was not a happy adoption. |
| 55 | * SugarAndIcePersonality: He's chilly and aloof by default, but spending a bit of time working with him proves that behind his reserve he's more awkward than anything else. |
| 56 | * TeamDad: He's a stern but caring leader who tries to keep everyone on track and focused. A couple of times, one of the others jokingly compares him to a dad. |
| 57 | [[/folder]] |
| 58 | |
| 59 | [[folder:Cat]] |
| 60 | !! Andi Kim: Cat |
| 61 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/andi_11.jpg]] |
| 62 | [[caption-width-right:350:The Lightning Cat]] |
| 63 | |
| 64 | An internet celebrity on [=SnapShot=] who the heroine is a fan of. |
| 65 | ---- |
| 66 | * CatGirl: Her Syndicate outfit is cat-themed, featuring a mask tipped with cat ears, a tail, and [[https://78.media.tumblr.com/99eafcd7cf5340553483d3a91a6c652f/tumblr_p4s26rcduZ1qahsddo1_1280.png paw-like footwear]]. |
| 67 | * ColorMotif: Purple, suggesting a sense of fun and whimsy. Even her hair is dyed purple. |
| 68 | * CommitmentIssues: She has a fear of emotional vulnerability that leads to her ending relationships before they can get too serious. Her relationship with the heroine on her route is the first time she's allowed another person into her living space. |
| 69 | * CuddleBug: She is physically affectionate, such as giving little touches to Monarch after they first get together, and [[TheGlomp tackle-hugging]] Bat when they first meet in person. |
| 70 | * ElementalPersonalities: She's quick, agile, and playful to match her power of lightning. |
| 71 | * FakeDefector: [[spoiler:She agrees to work for Optimus at the end of her fourth season because she's run out of alternatives after her identity was revealed, and also so that she can feed the Syndicate information.]] |
| 72 | * FirstLove: Related to CommitmentIssues above, in her third season she admits that Monarch is this for her. |
| 73 | * GayOption: Andi was one of the two pilot routes, and along with Lorelei is one of the four core love interests of the game. |
| 74 | * HeroWithBadPublicity: [[spoiler:After she is unmasked by Optimus at the end of her third season, she has to go into hiding because her former fanbase, as well as the general public, ''do not'' take the reveal well.]] |
| 75 | * IWillFindYou: Her whole reason for joining the Syndicate [[spoiler:Was to find her old friend and Snapshot rival Dahlia after she disappeared after landing Optimus as a sponsor.]] |
| 76 | * {{Leitmotif}}: She has an [[https://quinnhest.tumblr.com/post/171444985033/i-dont-exactly-know-how-to-label-the-soundtracks electronic track]] that's associated with her. |
| 77 | * PowerCordTail: Her Syndicate outfit includes a cat tail that functions as a data transfer cord. She plugs it into computers to steal data. |
| 78 | * PurpleIsPowerful: She's pretty powerful, and purple is ''definitely'' a theme with her. |
| 79 | * SexyCatPerson: She has a cat theme, and as a love interest she's meant to be attractive. She plays into this at one point in her second season, [[FauxPaw miming a cat's paw]] while acting seductively. |
| 80 | * ShockAndAwe: She has the power to generate and control electricity, which she can use to disrupt electronics and as [[StaticStunGun an insta-taser]]. It also allows her to resist the electrified shock batons used by Optimus {{Mook}}s. |
| 81 | [[/folder]] |
| 82 | |
| 83 | [[folder:Falcon]] |
| 84 | !! Renzei Feng: Falcon |
| 85 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/renzei_11.jpg]] |
| 86 | [[caption-width-right:350:The Cyclone Falcon]] |
| 87 | |
| 88 | ---- |
| 89 | * BigBrotherInstinct: He's the oldest of five children, and clearly feels a strong sense of responsibility to his siblings. In the heart scene near the end of his first season when he's telling Monarch about his family, he says that he would do "absolutely anything for any of them." [[spoiler:His second season reveals that he joined Optimus as a teenager to provide for his family, and keeps working for the company because they've threatened to kill his family if he doesn't obey.]] |
| 90 | * BlowYouAway: His power is wind. He can use it to fly, to create blasts or [[RazorWind blades]] of air, to guide and retrieve his throwing knives, and to suffocate enemies by stealing the air out of their lungs. His power also allows him to neutralize the gas generated by [[spoiler:Miguel]] near the end of Duke's third season. |
| 91 | * ColorMotif: Black and white/silver - sharp, mysterious, and dangerous. |
| 92 | * ConditionedToAcceptHorror: Renzei has undergone extensive conditioning to desensitize him to things that would horrify most other people. It becomes obvious during his second season, in which he frequently reacts with confusion when Monarch is upset or horrified about things that have happened to him, and he talks a little bit about how he ended up this way in a scene early in his third season. |
| 93 | -->'''Renzei:''' There was a lot I had to watch, and then a lot I had to do. Things that make people sick... I don't feel anything. |
| 94 | * DarkAndTroubledPast: Near the end of his first season, he talks about being a frequent target of bullies as a child, and about how in high school he'd planned to join a gang and deal drugs as a way of making money to support his family. [[spoiler:He didn't, but ending up as a special agent and assassin for Optimus isn't much better]]. His second season confirms that [[spoiler:Optimus recruited him at the age of eighteen by promising to support his family, then held them hostage to compel Renzei to become their assassin. We don't have specific numbers for his body count, but we know it's high - Juliette describes it as "way more than I thought possible."]] |
| 95 | * DeviousDaggers: In addition to his wind powers, Renzei likes to use actual knives - so much so that on a couple of routes Monarch wonders if his power is simply "knife." He is also the team member who is the most morally gray and willing to use violence. |
| 96 | * DramaticWind: Invoked for fun and profit; Renzei is not above using his superpower just to make himself, or Monarch, look cooler. |
| 97 | -->'''Renzei:''' What's the fun of air powers if you never get to use it for dramatic effect? |
| 98 | * ElementalEyeColors: His eyes are described as stormcloud-gray. |
| 99 | * ElementalPersonalities: He's as mysterious and mercurial as the air he controls. |
| 100 | * EvilCostumeSwitch: He gets a new white version of his costume when he starts overtly [[spoiler:working for Optimus]] in his second season. He changes back to the predominantly black version in his third season to cement [[spoiler:his defection from Optimus back to the Syndicate]]. |
| 101 | * FirstLove: [[spoiler:After everything Optimus put him through and conditioned him to do]] he wasn’t even sure he was capable of love anymore, so in his third season when he tells Monarch he loves her, it’s the first time he had ever said it. |
| 102 | * FriendOrIdolDecision: Midway through his fourth season, Renzei has the opportunity to get his revenge on [[spoiler:Kirk Steele]], but abandons it to help the rest of the Syndicate [[spoiler:save Duke]] and escape Optimus Tower. |
| 103 | * HadToBeSharp: Many of the skills he relies on as Falcon - fighting, deceit, and manipulation - he describes first learning as a child due to the harsh environment of the neighborhood and school he grew up in. |
| 104 | * HoneyTrap: In his second season, he admits that he's used sex and seduction in his work many times. Monarch is the first person in a long time - if ever - that he's been with without an ulterior motive. A scene late in the season elaborates that [[spoiler:Optimus purposefully assigned him when seduction would be an effective way of setting up an assassination, at least partly as a means of testing his loyalty and ensuring that he'd keep himself emotionally isolated]]. |
| 105 | * IUhYouToo: The first time Monarch tells Renzei that she loves him, he's unable to say it back and deflects with an admittedly sweet comment about how glad he is they're together. When she finally musters the courage to ask him directly how he feels, he confesses that he's had very little experience with such things and although he feels very, very strongly about her, he doesn't have a name for those feelings. After everything he's done and how much he's had to shut himself off from his emotions, he's not sure he's even capable of love, and since he promised to always be honest with Monarch he doesn't want to say the words "I love you" to her until he can be sure that he means them. |
| 106 | * InLoveWithTheMark: Charming Monarch is initially all just business, but his feelings for her quickly become genuine over the course of his first season. In his second season, he confesses that it's the first time he felt like he'd be sorry if he had to carry out his orders. |
| 107 | * LoveAtFirstSight: Early in his first season, he references the Japanese concept of ''koi no yokan''[[note]]"premonition of love"[[/note]] -- not quite literally love at first sight, so much as the feeling when you meet someone that you will inevitably fall in love with them. |
| 108 | * MassiveNumberedSiblings: In the last episode of his first season, Renzei reveals that he's the oldest of five children. He has a younger brother and three younger sisters; helping his parents provide for them was one of his motives for [[spoiler:joining Optimus]]. |
| 109 | * MeaningfulName: The [[https://twitter.com/lovestruckgame/status/969374455322484736 official Lovestruck twitter]] gives the characters for Renzei's name as 风认贼. [[StevenUlyssesPerhero The character 风 (Fēng) means "wind,"]] and the 贼 (zéi) in his given name means "thief." [[spoiler:The characters of his given name are also the first two characters of the phrase "[[http://tran.httpcn.com/Html/ChinesetoEnglish/46/XVMERNILPWKOILUYTBMEKO.html rèn zéi zuò fù]]," an idiom for falling in with bad people.]] |
| 110 | * TheMole: In his first two seasons, [[spoiler:he's a double agent infiltrating the Syndicate for Optimus]]. |
| 111 | * MurderIsTheBestSolution: His suggested solution to most of the problems the Syndicate faces tends to be killing someone. It's played for dark comedy in other routes, but his own makes it clear that Renzei has been conditioned to the point that he doesn't really ''have'' any other problem-solving tools in his repertoire, to his detriment. |
| 112 | * LeParkour: According to a game of INever in Duke's fifth season, Renzei had a parkour phase. |
| 113 | * RazorWind: One of his most common uses of his power is to throw blades of compressed air at his opponents (DependingOnTheWriter; on his own route, he prefers to use actual knives). |
| 114 | * SafeSaneAndConsensual: He and Monarch engage in EroticAsphyxiation in a heart scene in his second season, but only after a discussion carefully establishing boundaries of safety and consent, including a safeword for Monarch to broadcast to him telepathically should she want him to stop, and an agreement that if she ceases broadcasting her thoughts to him it will also be a signal to stop. "Sane" is still somewhat in question given the surrounding circumstances and Renzei's generally messed-up emotional state, but he makes it very clear he won't do anything that Monarch doesn't want him to do. |
| 115 | * SinkOrSwimMentor: All of the love interests recognize the protagonist's latent superpowers when they first meet her, but Renzei's the only one who helps along their manifestation by throwing a knife at her to scare her into defending herself telekinetically. |
| 116 | * StevenUlyssesPerhero: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fēng His last name is the word for "wind",]] and he has wind powers. |
| 117 | * TattooedCrook: Renzei purposefully invoked the trope when he chose to start getting his tattoos [[spoiler:to commemorate each person he's killed]]. In his second season, he explains to Monarch that some cultures around the world would [[MarkOfShame mark criminals with a visible tattoo]], and he decided that he needed to do the same to himself, "so people could see me clearly for what I am." |
| 118 | [[/folder]] |
| 119 | |
| 120 | [[folder:Badger]] |
| 121 | !! Lorelei Linden: Badger |
| 122 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lorelei_11_low.jpg]] |
| 123 | [[caption-width-right:350:The Stone Badger]] |
| 124 | |
| 125 | An architect who hints at a troubled history with Optimus. |
| 126 | ---- |
| 127 | * AlliterativeName: '''L'''orelei '''L'''inden. |
| 128 | * AmazonianBeauty: Lorelei is well built. The heroine's first encounter with her on her route has her losing her balance on a train and grabbing onto one of Lorelei's biceps for support, getting flustered over its firmness. |
| 129 | * AmbiguouslyBrown: She has a brown skin tone, but her ethnicity is not specified. WordOfGod is that she was intended to be at least partially Filipino but was cut short before anything more than hints could be put in. |
| 130 | * BoyishShortHair: In keeping with her butch appearance, she has short, styled hair. |
| 131 | * TheBigGuy: She fills this role on the team with her rock powers and her high-impact fighting style. |
| 132 | * ButchLesbian: Lorelei is tall, muscular, and stern, and she wears her hair short, in contrast to petite and trendy Andi. In their first encounter on her route before the heroine learns her name, the game even tags her as "Breathtaking Butch." |
| 133 | * ColorMotif: Yellow/gold/brown, earthy and sensible to go with her earth powers. |
| 134 | * CombinationAttack: In her route, she and Monarch develop a combination attack, since their powers synergize well. |
| 135 | * CorporateSponsoredSuperhero: [[spoiler:She used to be an Optimus-sponsored superhero along with Scarlet Brighid when she was in her teens.]] |
| 136 | * DeadpanSnarker: When she does snark, she tends to have a very dry delivery. |
| 137 | * DishingOutDirt: She has power over earth and rock. In addition to making barriers and disrupting enemies' footing, she frequently shapes stone gauntlets around her hands to add weight to her punches. |
| 138 | * DarkAndTroubledPast: [[spoiler:As a teen she became an Optimus-sponsored superhero with Scarlet Brighid with the two even falling in love. During one particular mission abroad though things went really bad and Lorelei was horrified by the collateral damage and appalled that Scarlet was unbothered, causing her to quit Optimus and end her engagement to Scarlet.]] |
| 139 | * ElementalEyeColors: She has green eyes to go with her earth powers. |
| 140 | * ElementalPersonalities: Lorelei is as blunt and no-nonsense as you'd expect from someone with earth powers. |
| 141 | * GayOption: Confirmed as a second female love interest option once the game was picked up for continuation. |
| 142 | * TheHermit: She was living in the woods by herself for a while before getting involved with the Syndicate. In her third season, she jokes that Monarch ruined solitude for her. |
| 143 | * MeaningfulName: The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorelei Lorelei]] is a rock formation in Germany, and a linden is a type of tree, fitting for a nature lover. |
| 144 | * MustHaveCaffeine: Coffee is an important part of her life, including her morning routine. When she gives Monarch some of her special brew at the end of her first season, it's treated as a deeply intimate moment. |
| 145 | * NatureLover: She keeps a garden outside her house for the calming atmosphere. When that's not enough, she likes to go to the park. She also likes to go camping, and takes Monarch on a trip with her in her second season. |
| 146 | * PowerIncontinence: Her control over her power slips when she's upset, causing tremors around her. |
| 147 | * SecondLove: After her disastrous relationship [[spoiler:with Scarlet Brighid]], Lorelei avoided romantic relationships making Monarch this for her. |
| 148 | * StatuesqueStunner: According to her profile, she's 5'11". |
| 149 | * StevenUlyssesPerhero: Her first name is the name of a rock formation in Germany, and she has powers over rock and stone. |
| 150 | * TheFirstCutIsTheDeepest: Her [[spoiler:failed engagement to Scarlet Brighid]] deeply hurt her and is a big reason she takes a long time letting Monarch in. |
| 151 | * ThisIsADrill: She has two drill swords. |
| 152 | [[/folder]] |
| 153 | |
| 154 | [[folder:Bat (Unmarked Spoilers)]] |
| 155 | !! Juliette [[spoiler:Optima]]: Bat |
| 156 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/juliette_11_low.jpg]] |
| 157 | |
| 158 | A mysterious hacker who keeps her true identity a secret. |
| 159 | ---- |
| 160 | * CastingAShadow: Bat's power to control light also allows her to create areas of deep shadow, including surrounding a person in darkness they cannot see through clearly. |
| 161 | * ClassifiedInformation: |
| 162 | ** On her character profile, her last name is listed as "???" and her age, height, and date of birth are listed as "[REDACTED]". |
| 163 | ** On [[https://lovestruckvoltage.tumblr.com/post/174892414038/heres-the-2018-update-to-our-list-of-every-lgbtq Lovestruck's]] [[https://lovestruckvoltage.tumblr.com/post/185632201389/astoria-fates-kiss-astoria-lost-kisses lists]] of LGBTQ characters, Bat's information is listed: |
| 164 | --->[REDACTED] aka Bat ([REDACTED]) |
| 165 | * ColorMotif: Black and yellow, for darkness and light. All the Syndicate outfits are black with a secondary color; Bat's has yellow trim. When appearing out of costume, she wears a black dress with a yellow sun and moon on it, a yellow necklace, and has blonde hair. |
| 166 | * DeadpanSnarker: Almost everything Bat says is laced with some degree of flippant sarcasm. |
| 167 | -->'''Bat:''' ...Guys. What did I say about this? Was it, 'go and get yourselves into another trap as soon as possible and scare me half to death again'? Because I'm pretty sure that's not what I said.\ |
| 168 | '''Andi:''' If we scared you half to death again, wouldn't that make you all the way dead?\ |
| 169 | '''Bat:''' Yes. I literally died. I rose from the grave just to give you this lecture. |
| 170 | * EmotionControl: She can calm a person's emotions by touching them with the warmth of her light powers. |
| 171 | -->'''Bat:''' Everyone with powers has some kind of empathic ability. Mine can manifest like this, through my light. |
| 172 | * ExpressiveMask: When she first starts appearing in person, Bat wears a full-face mask that projects a variety of {{emoticon}}s in place of facial expressions. She's very proud of it. |
| 173 | * GayOption: Her route was added a while after the rest had finished. |
| 174 | * GenderConcealingVoice: She uses a voice modulator to make herself sound like a guy. |
| 175 | * GenderReveal: She revealed her true identity (and therefore gender) to Monarch first in Andi's third season, and subsequently in Renzei and Lorelei's second seasons. Duke's season four is the last of the core love interest routes to include such a reveal. |
| 176 | * GivenNameReveal: In her season 1 finale, her surname is revealed as [[spoiler:Optima, the same as the founders of Optimus, who are her parents.]] |
| 177 | * LightEmUp: Bat's power, as revealed when she begins participating in missions in person, is to control light. Her main use of this ability so far has been to generate bright flashes of light which blind and disorient the enemy, though she can also use it to create deep shadows by taking away or blocking light. She can also do fun things like making an angel halo appear above her head. |
| 178 | * MeaningfulEcho: When she introduces herself to Andi and Monarch as Juliette in Andi's season three, she echoes her introduction as Bat in season one. |
| 179 | -->'''Juliette:''' My full name is Batty [=McBatterson=]. My friends call me Juliette. |
| 180 | * PlayfulHacker: Aside from serving as MissionControl, Bat's primary role in the Syndicate is using her hacking skills to collect information, reconnoiter targets, and disable security systems to give the rest of the team routes into and out of Optimus facilities - doling out plenty of smartass quips all the while. |
| 181 | * SignificantBirthDate: Her birthday is March 20, which is typically when the March equinox falls -- one of the two days of the year when day and night are of equal length, fitting for someone with light and shadow powers. |
| 182 | * SamusIsAGirl: Catches Monarch off guard in most of the routes when it’s revealed she’s a very attractive female. |
| 183 | * SweetPollyOliver: As Bat, she pretends to be a guy in order to protect her identity; only the other founding members of the Syndicate -- Duke, Lorelei, and Zeke -- know her true identity. She first reveals it to the rest of the Syndicate, as well as to the audience, in Andi's season three. Duke's route was the last of the core routes to have her reveal herself, in the second half of his fourth season. |
| 184 | * TwoPersonLoveTriangle: Monarch spends most of the first season of her route confused by the feelings she has for both Juliette and Bat before she finally puts two and two together. |
| 185 | * TheVoice: Her appearance is unknown until Andi's season three; she communicates with the others remotely through voice and text, using a cartoon bat as an avatar. She eventually begins participating in missions in person and becomes TheFaceless, but still prefers to attend team meetings at the lair remotely. |
| 186 | * VoiceWithAnInternetConnection: During missions, she communicates with the team over their comms and watches over them by hacking security cameras. |
| 187 | * WalkingSpoiler: The extreme secrecy surrounding Bat's identity makes discussing her role in later seasons complicated. |
| 188 | [[/folder]] |
| 189 | |
| 190 | [[folder:Cobra]] |
| 191 | !! Ezekiel "Zeke" Dorian: Cobra |
| 192 | %% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1593470366098746600 |
| 193 | %% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread. |
| 194 | %% |
| 195 | [[quoteright:313:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zeke_full_body.png]] |
| 196 | [[caption-width-right:313:The Chrono Cobra]] |
| 197 | |
| 198 | The founder of the Syndicate who returns after having been absent for some time. |
| 199 | ---- |
| 200 | * CelebrityResemblance: His character artwork bears a more than passing resemblance to Creator/IdrisElba. It's lampshaded in Duke's fourth season: when he, Andi, and Renzei attend an Optimus function incognito, the fake ID Bat creates for Zeke is named Roland - "like the gunslinger" from ''Franchise/TheDarkTower,'' [[Film/TheDarkTower2017 the 2017 film adaptation]] of which starred Elba as Roland Deschain. |
| 201 | * FlashStep: His combat style involves moving too fast for the eye to follow, seeming to disappear and reappear in order to catch the enemy off-guard with surprise attacks. |
| 202 | * IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: [[spoiler:Despite being in love with Monarch himself, he shows himself as nothing but happy and supportive of her relationship with every other Syndicate member in their respective routes.]] |
| 203 | * TheLeader: He used to lead the team before he left and relinquished the role to Duke. |
| 204 | * {{Seers}}: He avoids discussing exactly how his power works, citing the risk of paradox, but confirms that he can see the possible results of a person's action or what would have happened if they made a different choice. [[spoiler:This is revealed to actually be because he has travelled between many alternate timelines, and events tend to go similar routes based on various influences. He can tell what's going to happen because he's already lived it before.]] |
| 205 | * SignificantBirthDate: His birthday is 12/12 -- twelve, like the number of hours on a clock, fitting for someone with time powers. |
| 206 | * StarCrossedLovers: [[spoiler:With Monarch. He travels between alternate timelines, with two goals: first, to stop Optimus from taking over, and second, to keep Monarch safe. He and Monarch have met in every one of them, but for various reasons they're never able to be together for long, and he always has to leave and move on to the next timeline.]] |
| 207 | -->'''Zeke:''' Every day, I hope I'll find a timeline [...] that's good for the two of us, and also for the rest of the world.\ |
| 208 | '''Zeke:''' (Because it's never both.) |
| 209 | * TechnicolorEyes: He has ruby red eyes. |
| 210 | * TimeMaster: His power involves the manipulation of time, and along with his precognition he can speed up or slow down time for a few seconds. This is how he can appear to move at superhuman speeds. [[spoiler:He can also ''time travel'', which is the true source of his apparent precognition.]] |
| 211 | [[/folder]] |
| 212 | |
| 213 | |
| 214 | !!Optimus |
| 215 | |
| 216 | [[folder:Sampson Clark]] |
| 217 | !! Sampson Clark |
| 218 | |
| 219 | Head of PR, and the initial villain in Duke's route. |
| 220 | ---- |
| 221 | * BitchInSheepsClothing: In contrast to certain other Optimus employees, Mr. Clark seems like nothing but a friendly and caring BenevolentBoss who Monarch is willing to believe is completely unaware of Optimus's shadier side. Unfortunately, he's very much not. |
| 222 | * GravityMaster: He has the power to increase the force of gravity in a specific area, allowing him to pin people down with their own weight or even crush them with it. |
| 223 | * KillItWithIce: [[spoiler:Killed by Duke’s ice powers at the end of his season 2.]] |
| 224 | [[/folder]] |
| 225 | |
| 226 | [[folder:Hayden Beckett]] |
| 227 | !! Hayden Beckett |
| 228 | |
| 229 | ---- |
| 230 | * {{Jerkass}}: Across every route, Hayden consistently belittles and talks down to the heroine from the first time they meet, quickly establishing himself as a thoroughly unlikable jerk even before he's confirmed to be part of Optimus's less savory activities. |
| 231 | * SelfDuplication: He can make copies of himself. |
| 232 | [[/folder]] |
| 233 | |
| 234 | [[folder:Charles Kane]] |
| 235 | !! Charles Kane |
| 236 | |
| 237 | Head of HR, and the initial villain in Andi's route. |
| 238 | ---- |
| 239 | * AchillesHeel: He can only use his power on one person at a time, and he needs line of sight. |
| 240 | * HighVoltageDeath: [[spoiler:Killed by Andi's electric powers at the end of her season two.]] |
| 241 | * HoistByHisOwnPetard: He's [[spoiler:depowered, probably permanently, by the device he designed for Optimus]] in Renzei's fourth season. |
| 242 | * PowerNullifier: He can prevent people from using their powers by being in proximity with them. |
| 243 | [[/folder]] |
| 244 | |
| 245 | [[folder:Ajax]] |
| 246 | !! Ajax |
| 247 | |
| 248 | Chief of Optimus security, and the initial villain in Renzei's route. |
| 249 | ---- |
| 250 | * EvenEvilHasStandards: Ajax is utterly loyal to Optimus and kills for the company without question or remorse, but he also [[spoiler:paid out of his own pocket to give the murdered Fengs proper burial when the Optimus board member who ordered their deaths was going to have their bodies disposed of "less... ceremoniously."]] |
| 251 | * FalseFriend: Played with. Monarch's psychic abilities confirm that Ajax really does genuinely like Renzei and herself and considers both of them his friends - but that friendship doesn't mean he'll hesitate to kill them both the moment Optimus hands down the order. Renzei's third season confirms that Ajax [[spoiler:knew all along Renzei's family had been killed when Renzei and Monarch overhear him planning to have someone pretend to be Renzei's brother over the phone to convince Renzei they're still alive]]. |
| 252 | * TheJuggernaut: His strength and toughness make him almost unstoppable. It takes the entire Syndicate working as a team to even temporarily get the upper hand in Renzei's first season, and even then he soon shakes them off and is able to escape. |
| 253 | * LightningBruiser: He's a lot faster and more agile than his brawny build would suggest, as Monarch and Renzei discover when they throw down with him. |
| 254 | * MookLieutenant: As chief of Optimus security he's in charge of the faceless security mooks the Syndicate fights. In keeping with the trope, he has a unique uniform and is the only member of the security team who doesn't wear a mask. |
| 255 | * NoNonsenseNemesis: Unlike the other initial villains he doesn’t smirk or gloat during his battles, he remains entirely serious. |
| 256 | * PowerNullifier: Though he can't completely suppress someone's powers like Charles can, in a fight in Renzei's third season Monarch sees Ajax shrug off Renzei's attempt at suffocating him, and realizes that he's not just physically tough but resistant to all kinds of super-powers. |
| 257 | * SaveThisPersonSaveTheWorld: When Cobra arrives on the scene in Renzei's third season, it's with the news that Ajax's death is the catalyst that will bring about the darkest possible timeline. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, he arrives with this information only seconds after Renzei has killed Ajax.]] |
| 258 | * SuperStrength: He's strong enough to break himself free when Lorelei traps him between slabs of rock, is barely inconvenienced when Duke freezes his feet to the ground, and rips through Monarch's telekinetic shield "like a rhino through a spiderweb." |
| 259 | * SuperToughness: Renzei's knives bounce off his unprotected skin, and though Andi's electricity hurts him, it's not enough to slow him down [[spoiler:until she unloads a shock powerful enough to black out the entire Lair]]. |
| 260 | [[/folder]] |
| 261 | |
| 262 | [[folder:Sunny Starks]] |
| 263 | !! Sunny Starks |
| 264 | |
| 265 | The initial villain in Lorelei's route. |
| 266 | ---- |
| 267 | * AlliterativeName: '''S'''unny '''S'''tarks. In proper superhero fiction style, she's the first-season antagonist to Lorelei, who also has an alliterative name. |
| 268 | * BitchInSheepsClothing: Not to Sampson’s level but in Lorelei’s first season remains friendly and polite to Monarch while at work to the point that she was reluctant to go after her boss not sure if she was truly involved in Optimus’s shady activities. |
| 269 | * GreenThumb: Her power is control over plants, such as using vines to trap and threaten to strangle Monarch. |
| 270 | * {{Pheromones}}: [[spoiler:She can emit pheromones to affect a person's memory using scent-based hypnosis, and does so to the heroine in Lorelei's second season, keeping her from remembering the new facility she's been assigned to. Monarch mistakes the scent for perfume at first; it takes a camping trip with Lorelei, where she has an adverse reaction to the smell of wild mint, for them to put the pieces together.]] |
| 271 | * PutOnABus: [[spoiler:After the Syndicate successfully dismantles her training program at the end of Lorelei's second season, she skips town, most likely because she knows she's not necessary enough for Optimus to keep her around after her failure.]] |
| 272 | [[/folder]] |
| 273 | |
| 274 | [[folder:Dahlia London]] |
| 275 | !! Dahlia London / [=CrashingWaves=] |
| 276 | |
| 277 | Andi's old rival on [=SnapShot=] who resurfaces after not being heard from for over a year. [[spoiler:Her disappearance is what spurred Andi to join the syndicate in the first place.]] |
| 278 | ---- |
| 279 | * AffectionateNickname: Although she and Andi were rivals, they were close enough that Andi calls her 'Wavy' as a shortening of her [=SnapShot=] username. |
| 280 | * HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:In Andi's fourth season, she warns Monarch and Andi that Karma is following them while they're on vacation, and then fully switches sides partway through the fifth season.]] |
| 281 | * MakingASplash: She has control over water, and can move things around if they're wet. She's strong enough to make a massive wave, which Monarch pegs as unusual, suspecting Optimus involvement. She also has a water theme -- her [=SnapShot=] username is [=CrashingWaves=], her hair is dyed blue, and she has marine animal stickers on her water bottle. |
| 282 | * PhlebotinumRebel: [[spoiler:{{Downplayed}}, but she was given powers by Optimus unwillingly and ultimately turns on them and is a key player in their downfall.]] |
| 283 | * TheRival: She was once -- and as of season three now is again -- Andi's biggest rival on [=SnapShot=]. |
| 284 | * SellOut: When she resurfaces, she uses her [=SnapShot=] fame to publicize for Optimus. |
| 285 | [[/folder]] |
| 286 | |
| 287 | [[folder:Karma Cameron]] |
| 288 | !! Karma Cameron |
| 289 | |
| 290 | Actress, Optimus board member, and head of tech. |
| 291 | ---- |
| 292 | * AlliterativeName: Verging on RepetitiveName. |
| 293 | * {{Invisibility}}: This is her superpower. [[spoiler:Heavily implied that Optimus gave it to her and she didn’t develop it naturally.]] |
| 294 | * PunnyName: She can turn invisible, somewhat like a chameleon, and her name is Karma Cameron, which sounds similar to "[[Music/CultureClub Karma Chameleon]]". |
| 295 | * SeeTheInvisible: When Andi and Monarch feel like they're being followed, Andi electrifies a pool of water, which shows an electrified outline of Karma when she walks over it. |
| 296 | * SelfDisposingVillain: [[spoiler:She gets herself killed by taunting the Syndicate about how they'll never catch her while standing invisible on an unexpectedly in-use train track.]] |
| 297 | * StevenUlyssesPerhero: Her name sounds similar to 'chameleon' and she can turn invisible. |
| 298 | * WhiteDwarfStarlet: When she turned 30, she all but dropped out of the spotlight, and started working for Optimus. The Syndicate members discuss the double standards in acting when it comes to "older" actresses, and speculate that the reason she joined Optimus was because she wanted to keep her fame and importance at any cost. |
| 299 | [[/folder]] |
| 300 | |
| 301 | [[folder:Kirk Steele]] |
| 302 | !! Kirk Steele |
| 303 | |
| 304 | An Optimus board member. |
| 305 | ---- |
| 306 | * AstonishinglyAppropriateAppearance: When he appears in Lorelei's fourth season, Monarch notes that he looks exactly like she'd imagine someone named "Kirk Steele" would. |
| 307 | * BigBad: Of Duke and Renzei’s routes and Zeke’s short. |
| 308 | * CorruptCorporateExecutive: A board member of Optimus and definitely corrupt. |
| 309 | * ExtraOreDinary: He can control metal. |
| 310 | * HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:In Duke's fifth season, pulling out metal from Optimus Tower to fight with causes part of the building to collapse on him.]] |
| 311 | * StevenUlyssesPerhero: His last name is Steele, and he has metal powers. |
| 312 | [[/folder]] |
| 313 | |
| 314 | [[folder:Scarlet Brighid]] |
| 315 | !! Scarlet Brighid |
| 316 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lorelei_31_low.jpg]] |
| 317 | |
| 318 | Optimus' poster girl superhero and one of its board members and founders, who has history with Lorelei. |
| 319 | ---- |
| 320 | * BadassCape: She seemingly never takes it off. |
| 321 | * BigBad: Of Lorelei’s route. |
| 322 | * CombatStilettos: A CG shows her costume's boots to be high-heeled. {{Justified|Trope}} since she can fly. |
| 323 | * CorporateSponsoredSuperhero: She's Optimus' poster girl. |
| 324 | * DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength: Defied. At one point she takes the hand of the heroine, who notes the lightness of her touch, surmising that she must have a lot of practice controlling her strength. |
| 325 | * EvilRedHead: Has bright red hair and is one of the most vile employees of Optimus. |
| 326 | * FlyingBrick: She can fly and has super strength. |
| 327 | * HannibalLecture: Dishes these out to Lorelei like candy. |
| 328 | * LoafingInFullCostume: She's always wearing her costume, even when getting lunch with the heroine at a restaurant. Bat says she's rumored to sleep in it. |
| 329 | * NotInTheFace: During a battle with Lorelei which she doesn't seem to be taking particularly seriously until Lorelei strikes her in the face, angering her. |
| 330 | * RedIsHeroic: She has red hair, her costume is predominantly red, and her name is ''Scarlet''. |
| 331 | * SmugSuper: She's very smug. Monarch notes that while she may take care to avert DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength, she likes to throw her weight around in other ways. |
| 332 | * SuperStrength: She can snap steel girders "like asparagus." |
| 333 | * {{Telepathy}}: She has psychic powers that allow her to project thoughts to others to mind control them. When Monarch first meets her at work, she senses Scarlet tapping at the door to her mind before locking it shut in response. [[spoiler:Lorelei tells Monarch she didn’t have it when they were together, implying that Optimus gave her telepathy artificially.]] |
| 334 | * WeddingRingDefense: Under her gloves, she still wears her engagement ring [[spoiler:(which was handmade by Lorelei)]] in order to dissuade the fans who crush on her from asking her out. |
| 335 | [[/folder]] |
| 336 | |
| 337 | [[folder:Ruby (Unmarked Spoilers)]] |
| 338 | !! Ruby |
| 339 | A coworker of the heroine and Juliette in the latter's route. |
| 340 | ---- |
| 341 | * GlamourFailure: The heroine sees one of her fingers without the disguise one day at work. |
| 342 | * PowerCopying: She is able to imitate the Syndicate's powers after having them used against her. |
| 343 | * RidiculouslyHumanRobots: She is a humanoid robot who can project a human appearance over her surface. |
| 344 | * RoboticReveal: Near the end of Juliette's first season, she is revealed to be the same robot the main characters have been fighting. |
| 345 | * SuperStrength: As a robot, she is very strong. It's an unusual display of strength, along with [[GlamourFailure the disguise failing on one of her fingers]], that leads the heroine to make the connection between Ruby and the robot. |
| 346 | [[/folder]] |
| 347 | |
| 348 | |
| 349 | !!Others |
| 350 | [[folder:Robin Sanders]] |
| 351 | !! Robin Sanders |
| 352 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tumblr_p5apkk6eaz1w2tdceo1_1280.png]] |
| 353 | |
| 354 | The heroine's roommate. |
| 355 | ---- |
| 356 | * BestFriend: The heroine's best friend since college. |
| 357 | * CharacterOverlap: They are the same Robin who is the child of the heroine and Chimera in Chimera's fourth season of ''VisualNovel/AstoriaFatesKiss''. |
| 358 | * LockedOutOfTheLoop: They're completely oblivious to Monarch and her love interest's activities with the Syndicate, and Monarch tries to keep it that way. [[spoiler:Played for laughs in Andi's fourth season when they somehow manage to never find out about Andi being Cat despite her unmasking having been broadcast publicly.]] |
| 359 | * MellowFellow: Nothing really seems to phase them for long, and they're generally laid-back and positive. |
| 360 | * RelationshipUpgrade: [[spoiler:They get together with the pizza delivery girl they have a crush on during the timeskip in Andi's fifth season and Renzei and Lorelei's fourth seasons, with her also moving in with them in Renzei and Lorelei's routes. In Duke's fifth season she becomes their new roommate after Monarch moves in with Duke, though their relationship status isn't specified.]] |
| 361 | * TheSlacker: They are commonly found hanging out at home and snacking. Monarch remarks that they have the aura of a sloth. |
| 362 | * TheStoner: Downplayed, but there are some references to them getting stoned or having pot brownies, and they have the mellow personality associated with the character type. |
| 363 | [[/folder]] |
| 364 | |
| 365 | [[folder:Miguel Santos]] |
| 366 | !! Miguel Santos |
| 367 | |
| 368 | Duke's personal assistant. |
| 369 | ---- |
| 370 | * PoisonousPerson: He has the ability to generate some kind of drug or poison from his skin. Direct skin-to-skin contact causes dizziness and nausea. In Duke's third season, Monarch catches him [[spoiler:dosing Duke's coffee]] to no immediately visible effect, suggesting that he can create different types of compounds as he wills. |
| 371 | [[/folder]] |
| 372 | |
| 373 | [[folder:Rahim Nassar]] |
| 374 | !! Rahim Nassar |
| 375 | |
| 376 | A mysterious tattoo artist and a friend of Renzei's. See his entry in the ''Characters/HavenfallIsForLovers'' character sheet. |
| 377 | ---- |
| 378 | * CharacterOverlap: He's Razi's brother from ''VisualNovel/HavenfallIsForLovers''. |
| 379 | [[/folder]] |
| 380 |
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