| 1 | ! Beware of Unmarked Spoilers. |
| 2 | This is the Characters page for ''Literature/ImInLoveWithTheVillainess''. Please be aware there are several WalkingSpoiler characters who are difficult, if not impossible, to discuss at length without revealing vital plot points. \ |
| 3 | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 6 | ! The Main Characters |
| 7 | [[folder:In General]] |
| 8 | * AbhorrentAdmirer: Downplayed as much of Claire's disdain for Rae's eccentric pursuit of her stem from the noble's [[HeroicSelfDeprecation poor self-worth]] and [[NoBisexuals misconceptions]] regaring her own same-sex attraction, overcoming both as the story [[RelationshipUpgrade progresses]]. |
| 9 | * BabiesEverAfter: Act 1 ends with the couple adopting identical twin girls: May and Aleah. |
| 10 | * BattleCouple: First demonstrated in the [[EarlyBirdBoss magic practice event]], their victories over major foes like [[spoiler:[[AnimateDead Louie]],]] the [[PuzzleBoss Chimera]], and [[spoiler:[[CoDragons Great Archdemons]]]] result from the couple's excellent teamwork and coordination, which also enables their LastDiscMagic. |
| 11 | * BokeAndTsukkomiRoutine: Their comedic interactions typically entail Claire admonishing Rae's antics. |
| 12 | --> '''Claire:''' “Rae… Are you incapable of kissing normally?!” |
| 13 | --> '''Rae:''' “That wasn’t normal?” |
| 14 | --> '''Claire:''' “No, that was clearly a nighttime kiss!” |
| 15 | --> '''Rae:''' “Does that mean you didn’t enjoy it?” |
| 16 | --> '''Claire:''' “Shut up, Rae!” ''she said, throwing a pillow at me.'' |
| 17 | * ChickMagnet: Both are remarkably popular with women. |
| 18 | ** In her previous life, Rei was pursued by her childhood friend [[HopelessSuitor Shiko]] as part of a messy, high school LoveDodecahedron, later earning the affections of Lilly, [[spoiler:Manaria]], and Lana as [[NextLifeAsAFictionalCharacter Rae Taylor.]] |
| 19 | ** Ironically, unlike her homosexual wife, Claire's litany of admirers are solely women. From Manaria [[spoiler:(albiet as a ploy),]] Freida, and Philine, to even [[spoiler:[[GreaterScopeParagon Clarice]] and the [[BigBad Demon Queen]], being party to a soured ReincarnationRomance with the latter.]] |
| 20 | * ClosetKey: Initially deeming herself straight and wanting nothing to do with Rae, Claire's gradual attraction towards the commoner leads her to accept her own bisexuality. |
| 21 | * CommonLawMarriage: Unable to garner support for same-sex marriage [[spoiler:for Bauer's new constitution,]] the couple holds a small, unofficial wedding. In Act 2's [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue epilogue]], Rae notes a legal wedding may soon come thanks to Lilly, [[spoiler:Yu, and Misha]] leveraging their [[spoiler:post-Demon Queen]] influence to lobby the Spiritual Church. |
| 22 | * DepravedHomosexual: Invoked as Claire recoils upon Rae confirming she's a lesbian to Misha, who chides her behavior as discriminatory. |
| 23 | -->'''Misha:''' “How would you feel if a boy told you, ‘Don’t hit on me’?” |
| 24 | -->'''Claire:''' “How dare he think me so desperate!” |
| 25 | -->'''Misha:''' “Exactly. But that’s exactly how you’re treating Rae.” |
| 26 | -->'''Claire:''' “Oh…” |
| 27 | * EarnYourHappyEnding: |
| 28 | ** In the Revolution arc, [[spoiler:Rae overcomes a HeroicBSOD, enlisting her friends' aid in both [[RoaringRampageOfRescue defeating Salas]] and saving Claire and her fellow aristocrats from execution before becoming HappilyMarried with [[BabiesEverAfter kids]].]] |
| 29 | ** In the Future of Humanity arc, [[spoiler:The François lead humanity's efforts to keep the Demon Queen—revealed to be the original Rei Ohashi, from destroying Claire's soul and ending the [[EternalRecurrence Loop System]]. Later, Rae teams up with Lilly, the [[EnemyMine Demon Queen]], and her fellow clones to rescue Claire from TAIM's LotusEaterMachine before returning to their peaceful lives in Bauer.]] |
| 30 | * FireWaterJuxtaposition: Their very powers are built on this. Claire is a hammy, energetic spitfire with mastery over fire, while Rae is a calm individual with HiddenDepths with control over water. Though initially used to contrast the two characters, their powerful teamwork symbolically demonstrates just how well they can function together. |
| 31 | * TheGadfly: Rae enjoys provoking Claire and admiring how cute the villainess is while fulfilling her end of their BokeAndTsukkomiRoutine. |
| 32 | * HiddenDepths: |
| 33 | ** Rae's quick-witted heroism belie the anxiety and ruthlessness which surface when her loved ones are in peril, notably in her willigness to let a Chimera run loose to protect Claire and [[HeroicBSOD Heroic BSODs]] following her lover [[spoiler:surrendering to The Revolution]] and their daughters [[spoiler:being taken hostage.]] |
| 34 | ** Claire hides her good nature with coldness and pompous classism, [[DefrostingIceQueen defrosting]] to an individual so kind and empathetic she immediately adopts a pair of destitute orphans and forgives [[spoiler:[[AIIsACrapshoot TAIM]] after being RetGone, trapped in LotusEaterMachine, and narrowly killed by her.]] |
| 35 | * IncompatibleOrientation: Subverted as Claire eventually accepts her bisexuality and reciprocates [[ClosetKey Rae's]] feelings. |
| 36 | * LastDiscMagic: In preperation of the FinalBattle, [[spoiler:TAIM orders Torrid Magic to teach the couple tandem casting, a powerful technique amplifying users' combined magic attributes.]] |
| 37 | * LateArrivalSpoiler: Volume 3's [[https://images.randomhouse.com/cover/9781648275579 cover]] spoils Claire surviving the revolution, along with the couple [[BabiesEverAfter becoming mothers]] in Act 1's [[WhereAreTheyNow epilogue]]. |
| 38 | * LoveTranscendsSpacetime: [[spoiler:Their love allows Rae to [[LaserGuidedAmnesia regain her memories]] and enlist Lilly, the Demon Queen, and her fellow clones' help in freeing [[RetGone Claire]] from a LotusEaterMachine, the couple using [[ThePowerOfLove tandem casting]] to destroy [[AIIsACrapshoot TAIM's]] chimeras and regain control of the [[EternalRecurrence Loop System]].]] |
| 39 | * MoralityChain: Ironic given their respective titles as 'villainess' and 'heroine', she has to push Rae into heroism whenever the alternative would ensure Claire's saftey. |
| 40 | ** Claire refuses to flee from the Chimera, forcing her and Rae to fight as any damage or casualties would compound [[spoiler:Lene's punishment.]] |
| 41 | ** Her decision to join the political hostages sent to Nur pushes Rae to follow suit, ensuring nobody else is sent in their place and ensuring Bauer has a chance at reforming the empire's [[TakeOverTheWorld aggressive foreign policy]]. |
| 42 | * OfficialCouple: Their romance is practically a ForegoneConclusion given the story's premise, receiving a RelationshipUpgrade after the Scales of Love arc and becoming [[CommonLawMarriage married]] with [[BabiesEverAfter kids]] before the start of [[HappyEndingOverride Act 2]]. |
| 43 | * PlotMandatedFriendshipFailure: [[spoiler:Rae and Claire have a falling out after the former loses her duel with Manaria.]] |
| 44 | * ThePowerOfLove: [[spoiler:The couple uses [[LastDiscMagic tandem casting]], a technique combing casters' magic attributes, to defeat [[AIIsACrapshoot TAIM]].]] |
| 45 | --> '''Rae:''' [[spoiler:A fiery, euphoric pleasure overtook me as I felt my magic meld with Claire’s. The mixed magic coursed through our bodies, past our fingertips, and converged in our wands. The conflicting attributes of fire and water had united, as paradoxical as my bond with Claire, and harmonized into a brilliance that now shone forth.]] |
| 46 | * ThePromise: Rae makes one with Claire after [[MetaphoricallyTrue outperforming her]] in the magic exam, later reiterating it following a similar wager during the Academy Knights tryouts. [[spoiler:Revealed to be a preemptive measure which fails when Claire breaks it by surrendering herself to the revolution.]] |
| 47 | -->'''Claire:''' I, Claire François, swear to God to never give up. I promise never to abandon hope and to keep going until the end.” |
| 48 | * RousingSpeech: Claire issues one to a [[HeroicBSOD distraught]] Rae after [[spoiler:[[BrainwashedAndCrazy Lana]] takes the twins hostage.]] |
| 49 | --> '''Claire:''' “Rae, if we’re to [[spoiler:get our children back,]] I need you. Come back to me. Show me the strong Rae I know and love.” |
| 50 | * SacredFirstKiss: [[spoiler:Claire gives hers as an apology for breaking ThePromise before martyring herself to the Revolution, spiraling Rae into a HeroicBSOD.]] |
| 51 | * ScissorsCutsRock: Rae's creativity allows her to handily defeat Claire with Earth magic despite its [[ElementalRockPaperScissors disadvantage against fire]], making cover from tungsten carbide[[note]]the alloy has a melting point of 2,867°C (5,192.6°F).[[/note]] and shoving Claire down a pit faster than she can ascend. |
| 52 | * SecretKeeper: |
| 53 | ** Claire confronts Rae over her [[spoiler:impossible [[MediumAwareness knowledge and foresight]] during their investigation of corrupt aristocrats, agreeing not to reveal the commoner's [[NextLifeAsAFictionalCharacter reincarnation]] and [[RomanceGame "book of prophecies"]].]] |
| 54 | ** In the Truth of The World Arc, [[spoiler:TAIM threatens to harm May and Aleah should the couple disclose her identity or details of their conversation.]] |
| 55 | * YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: Claire often receives such speeches from Rae. |
| 56 | ** Rae attempts to convince an unrecepitive Claire of her likeable personality, vowing to make the noble believe her one day. |
| 57 | ** Ironic given May and Aleah's [[ParentalFavoritism favortism]] toward Claire, Rae assures her parenting isn't inferior after failing to convince the twins to conitnue schooling, explaining how they both drew from prior experiences—the twins just happened to be more receptive to Rae's advice. |
| 58 | [[/folder]] |
| 59 | |
| 60 | [[folder:Rae Taylor]] |
| 61 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sscc_rae_cover.png]] |
| 62 | ->'''Voiced by''': Creator/YuuSerizawa (Japanese), Hannah Alyea (English) |
| 63 | A fatally overworked OfficeLady who [[NextLifeAsAFictionalCharacter reincarnates]] as (Rae) Taylor, heroine of her favorite [[RomanceGame otome game]], ''Revolution''. Rae's [[MediumAwareness prior knowledge]] and pursuit of her favorite character, the titular villainess Claire François, gradually throws the original plot OffTheRails. |
| 64 | ---- |
| 65 | * ActionGirl: While admittedly poor in physical combat, Rae quickly becomes an excellent mage owing to her MediumAwareness and creativity granting access to tungsten barriers, deadly earth-water compound spells, and [[MagicAntidote healing magic]]. |
| 66 | * AdaptationalDyeJob: While the light novels (pictured right) depict the heroine with brown eyes, both the manga and anime adaptation change them to a soft red. |
| 67 | * AscendedFangirl: Once among ''Revolution's'' biggest fans and author of several fan works, Rei becomes the game's heroine and romances the villainess she'd long been smitten with. |
| 68 | * BarelyChangedDubName: Subverted, as while Ōhashi Rei (大橋零) became Rae Taylor (レイ=テイラー) upon [[NextLifeAsAFictionalCharacter reincarnating]], the official translation alters it to "Rae" while referring to her previous self as "Rei", a nomenclature likely meant to contrast the Japanese and European settings. |
| 69 | * BeneathTheMask: Behind Rae's ObfuscatingStupidity and obsession with Claire lies a deeply [[{{Gayngst}} insecure]] and paranoid woman who feels the need to downplay her feelings to ensure the noble's [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy happiness]]. |
| 70 | -->'''Rae:''' "From the moment I fall in love, I must keep my distance. I know that does nothing but encourage prejudice. But... if I don't tease. If I don't deceive–" |
| 71 | * BitchInSheepsClothing: Her amicability and sense of heroism disappear whenever the alternative ensures Claire or their daughters' safety, forcing her lover to act as a MoralityChain in events like the Chimera incident or their family's departure to Nur. |
| 72 | * BloodFromTheMouth: She coughs up blood and collapses after being hit with [[spoiler:Manaria's signature spell, [[MageKiller Dominator]].]] |
| 73 | * BrainyBrunette: Beneath Rae's short, brown hair is a mind sharp enough to maximize her [[GenreSavvy Genre Savviness]] and MediumAwareness by forming tungsten barriers and fully functioning bidet, outwit strategists like Rod, [[spoiler:persuade Dole to help save Claire]], and otherwise [[TheChessmaster manipulate events]] in her favor. |
| 74 | * BodyDouble: She acts as one to Clarice in the Pope's Assassination sub-arc, their identical appearance fooling all but [[spoiler:Dorothea and her would-be assassin: Socrat]]. |
| 75 | * CasualKink: Much to Claire's chagrin, Rae does nothing to hide her excitement at being belittled and otherwise 'bullied' by Claire, even using her position as the villainess' maid to further the masochist routine. |
| 76 | -->'''Rae:''' “Miss Claire, won’t you try saying you hate me?” |
| 77 | -->'''Claire:''' “Huh? What for?” |
| 78 | -->'''Rae:''' “To put the finishing touch on your villainess routine.” |
| 79 | * TheChessmaster: Rae exploits her knowledge of ''Revolution'' by selling recipes to Broumet to accrue funds, [[spoiler:aligning herself with the Commoner Movement's benefactor,]] Dole, and becoming Claire's maid to remain at her side, securing Lilly and Claire's immunity from their fathers' potential crimes, and [[spoiler:pushes the villainess to join the Commoner Movement in a ploy to ensure she isn't executed alongside the aristocracy.]] The only weaknesses to her scheme are borne of unpredictable deviations from the original plot, and a misunderstanding of Claire's values. |
| 80 | * CombatMedic: Despite her powerful [[RedMage dual-casting]], Rae often takes a support role in combat, healing allies with water magic and protecting from deadly attacks with Uplift and tungsten barriers. This is often because she is partnered with Claire in combat scenarios, and her focus in any conflict involving Claire is Claire's protection, first and foremost. Thankfully, Claire's magical control over fire and ability to conjure up laser barrages makes her a veritable GlassCannon, a role that works well with Rae's own. In any conflict ''against'' Claire or not involving her, Rae veers closer to a magical LightningBruiser. |
| 81 | * CombatPragmatist: Rae prefers the path of least resistance in combat, ending her humorous CurbStompBattle against Claire by shoving her down an increasingly deeper pit and often using [[IceBreaker Absolute Zero]] or Judecca to OneHitKill powerful foes. |
| 82 | * DeliberateUnderperformance: She throws a chess match and underperforms in the magic exam in a failed attempt to drive Rod away. |
| 83 | * DespairEventHorizon: Rae crosses into one after losing a wager over Claire in a brutal CurbStompBattle against Manaria, and again once [[spoiler:Claire surrenders herself to The Revolution.]] |
| 84 | * DishingOutDirt: Her cleverness and ultra-high earth attribute allows her to create tungsten barriers, launch allies and cushion their falls with Uplift, or rip foes apart with [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice Earth Spike]]. |
| 85 | * DoesNotLikeMen: Downplayed as while Rae doesn't despise men, she admits to being biased toward women. |
| 86 | -->'''Claire:''' “So you really believe [[spoiler:Joel’s]] innocent then? I’m surprised.” |
| 87 | -->'''Rae:''' “Hm? Did you think I hated [[spoiler:Joel]] or something?” If anything, that was what was surprising here. |
| 88 | -->'''Claire:''' “Not at all. I just had you pegged as the type to unconditionally take the woman’s side.” |
| 89 | -->'''Rae:''' “Ohh… I certainly do tend to, I’ll admit it. But I don’t despise guys or anything, you know?” |
| 90 | * DoggedNiceGirl: Zigzagged as Rae supplements her bombastic love confessions with low-key yearning, initially playing [[TheMatchmaker matchmaker]] between [[SugarAndIcePersonality Claire]] and Thane as she'd rather [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy prioritize the villainess' happiness]] than face her own fears of rejection, eventually doing so and becoming an item near Act 1's end. |
| 91 | * ElementalBarrier: She can create walls of earth or water for defense. |
| 92 | * ElementalPersonalities: Her Earth attribute reflects her stubborn, unyielding devotion to Claire, while her Water attribute, which [[IceMagicIsWater includes ice spells]], shows the colder, more calculating side she tries to hide. |
| 93 | * ExtremeDoormat: Her brash masochism aside, Rae's fears of upsetting Claire reduce an otherwise ruthlessly ambitious woman to a DoggedNiceGirl who [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy bottles her affection]] out of a refusal to put themselves first even at Claire's peril, [[spoiler:spurring Manaria into both a brutal SecretTestOfCharacter and [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre heartwarming]] RousingSpeech to rally the commoner.]] |
| 94 | * FinaleTitleDrop: Act 1 closes with this as Rae and Claire reaffirm their love. [[note]]The Japanese title: 私の推しは悪役令嬢 means "my choice is the villainess".[[/note]] [[spoiler:It also serves as a CerebusCallBack to the Demon Queen's [[InternalDeconstruction motives]].]] |
| 95 | * GivingRadioToTheRomans: Rae shares her modern recipes like chocolate, flambe, and mayo with Broumet and Lene, even creating a nose-making bidet to save Claire from a PottyEmergency. |
| 96 | * HappilyAdopted: Prior to reincarnating, a young Rae was found wandering the streets by her now loving mother and father: Mel and Van Taylor, who raised her in the town of Eulcid. |
| 97 | * HappinessInSlavery: Rae enjoys being at Claire's beck and call, using her position as the noble's personal maid to fuel her [[CasualKink masochism]]. |
| 98 | * HeroicBSOD: |
| 99 | ** She spirals into one after Claire [[spoiler:[[SacredFirstKiss apologizes]] for reneging on their promise before leaving to be executed by The Revolution, needing [[EleventhHourRanger Manaria's]] [[RousingSpeech words]] of [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre encouragement]] to recover.]] |
| 100 | ** Rae suffers another one when [[spoiler:May and Aleah are taken hostage by [[BrainwashedAndCrazy Lana]], recovering after a brief RousingSpeech from Claire.]] |
| 101 | * HugeSchoolgirl: In her previous life, Rei had a complex regarding her tall stature. |
| 102 | * HypocriticalHumor: Rae's disdain for Manaria, Philine, and even [[spoiler:the Demon Queen's]] advances are played for laughs whilst the heroine takes little issue with being pursued by Lilly and Lana—{{Hopeless Suitor}}s so brash the latter sent a letter requesting to become her mistress alongside a [[spoiler:''wedding gift''.]] |
| 103 | * IdenticalStranger: Her fellow 'lost children of the spirits', Elie and Pope Clarice bear an identical appearance and are [[spoiler:part of a CloningGambit to stop the BigBad]], leading Rae to [[BodyDouble impersonate]] the latter. |
| 104 | * IfItsYouItsOkay: Discussed and defied. Rae explains that while on a logical level, gender shouldn't make a difference regarding love, on an emotional level she just can't see herself developing romantic attraction towards men, not that she hates them either. |
| 105 | * InternalDeconstruction: [[spoiler:The Demon Queen—revealed to be the original Rei Ōhashi,]] deconstructs Rae's endless devotion to Claire in demonstrating both the limits of 'eternal love' and the [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor consequences]] of taking the phrase literally. |
| 106 | -->'''Claire:''' “People must decide what eternity means themselves. You tried seeking an objective truth in something subjective. That’s where you went wrong.” |
| 107 | -->'''[[spoiler:Demon Queen]]:''' “I was… wrong?” |
| 108 | -->'''Claire:''' “Yes, very.” |
| 109 | * IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Rae pushes Claire and Thane together in the belief her own feelings are secondary to Claire, which [[spoiler:Manaria]] calls out as both unsustainable and an excuse borne from fears of rejection. |
| 110 | * JerkassToOne: She's significantly harsher to Rod than any other ally both in a [[InsultBackfire failed attempt to ensure the prince doesn't catch feelings]], and out of an ironic disdain for his pushiness and refusal to take no for an answer. |
| 111 | * ObfuscatingStupidity: Rae presents herself as a ditzy, [[DepravedHomosexual obsessive]] commoner to mask her [[MediumAwareness prior knowledge]] and scheming for Claire's sake. |
| 112 | * LoveDodecahedron: In her previous life, she was party to a four-woman snarl among childhood friends in which Misaki outs her out of jealousy of Shiko's feelings for Rei. Shiko meanwhile, tried to curry affection by isolating Rei and supplementing her LGBTAwakening with [[LoveTriangle particular media recomendations]]. [[ManipulativeBastard Kosaki]], the object of Rei's affection, contributed to the GambitPileup by manipulating Misaki—her own crush, into bullying Rei hard enough to earn Shiko's ire, successfully separating them and later becoming a item. |
| 113 | -->'''Rae:''' Rei liked Kosaki, Kosaki liked Misaki, Misaki liked Shiko, and Shiko liked Rei—in short, it was right out of a soap opera. |
| 114 | * MakingASplash: Her ultra-high water attributes enables [[ForcedSleep powerful sleep]] and single-target [[HealItWithWater healing magic]], along with the powerful [[IceBreaker Absolute Zero]]. |
| 115 | * {{Meido}}: She becomes Claire's personal maid after blackmailing Dole, using the position to further her [[CasualKink masochistic obsession]] and [[spoiler:work alongside the Finance Minister to ensure The Revolution considers Claire an ally rather than another aristocrat to execute.]] |
| 116 | * NewLifeInAnotherWorldBonus: As intended of ''Revolution's'' heroine, Rae has an incredibly high [[{{Mana}} magic capacity]] and ultra-high aptitude in two elements: [[DishingOutDirt Earth]] and [[MakingASplash Water]]. |
| 117 | * NextLifeAsAFictionalCharacter: Having died from overwork, [[OfficeLady Rei Ōhashi]] reincarnates as [[RomanceGame ''Revolution's'']] heroine, Rae Taylor. [[spoiler:It gets {{Subverted}} when it is revealed that Rae isn't a TrappedInAnotherWorld character, but rather created as a clone of [[BigBad Rei]] by TAIM along with Elie and Clarice. In fact Rei Ohashi is not even an office lady at all, but she's one of the three forerunners behind the Eternal Loop System with the original Claire and Lene. That and ''Revolution's'' world later revealing to be EarthAllAlong in the much distant future makes even more sense.]] |
| 118 | * RedMage: She's a dual-caster with ultra-high [[DishingOutDirt Earth]] and [[MakingASplash Water]] aptitudes, enabling deadly compound spells like Judecca, a combination of her already OneHitKill [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice Earth Spike]] and [[IceBreaker Absolute Zero]] spells. |
| 119 | * SadClown: Rae lampshades her DepravedHomosexual act being a coping mechanism while discussing what being a lesbian means with Misha, Claire, and Lene. |
| 120 | -->'''Claire:''' “It’s because you’re always saying those sorts of things that I worry!” |
| 121 | -->'''Rae:''' Perhaps that was true, and if I was overstepping boundaries, then that was my bad. But the fact of the matter was, Japanese entertainers in my past life had often used their sexuality as part of their brand despite the discrimination they faced. That was probably why I acted this way. |
| 122 | -->'''Rae:''' “I just can’t live without poking fun at you,” I said, laughing. But I was laughing alone. |
| 123 | * SorryImGay: She tries to explain this to her various male suitors, but her level of success varies. |
| 124 | * SplitPersonalityTakeover: Rae completely overtook Taylor upon reincarnating, the drastic change in demeanor not going unnoticed by [[spoiler:a confrontational Misha]]. In the Truth of the World arc, [[spoiler:they're revealed to be the same person, with the unnatural cut-off at the Royal Academy resulting from TAIM failing to fully restore her memories between [[EternalRecurrence loops]].]] |
| 125 | * SpringtimeForHitler: Her attempts to drive Rod away by [[DeliberateUnderperformance throwing their chess game]] and doling [[InsultBackfire harsh insults]] piques the prince's interest, growing enamored enough to make an earnest proposal. |
| 126 | * StepfordSmiler: While genuinely enjoying her time with Claire, Rae's agony over her seemingly unrequited feelings and preparations to ensure [[spoiler:Claire survives The Revolution]] are shown to take their toll as the story progresses. |
| 127 | * SupremeChef: Rae's experience cooking for her prior-life brother and knowledge of novel commodities like [[GivingRadioToTheRomans chocolate and mayonnaise]] make her among the world's greatest chefs, secretly selling recipes to Broumet and propelling Lene's restaurant, Frater, into stardom. |
| 128 | ** Her daughter, Aleah follows in Rae's footsteps, becoming a chef great enough to help defeat Nur's imperial chefs in their CookingDuel. |
| 129 | * TomatoInTheMirror: [[spoiler:During this scene in the WhamEpisode where she realises that she's actually the clone of the BigBad Rei Ohashi. Naturally, it is only the AI who knows about her true existence via the InternalReveal.]] |
| 130 | -->'''Apostle:''' [[spoiler: The world Rae Taylor lived in—or rather, the world Rei Ohashi lived in—and this world are, strictly speaking, the same.]] |
| 131 | -->'''Rae:''' [[spoiler:Huh?! Apostle, are you saying I wasn’t brought to another world?]] |
| 132 | * TooKinkyToTorture: To Claire's chagrin, Rae is delighted by her bullying and often requests she go further. However, in the fourth volume, she says she's probably not a masochist... while fantasizing about Claire with a whip. |
| 133 | -->'''Rae:''' Claire with a whip--Could there be a better combination? Just putting that out there. But I'm ''not'' a masochist. \ |
| 134 | Probably. |
| 135 | * TooMuchAlike: Rae dislikes Rod for being pushy, obnoxious, and refusing to take no for an answer—the same traits she displays in her pursuit of Claire. |
| 136 | * WingdingEyes: She gets these a lot in the anime, from heart eyes when she's feeling especially lovey-dovey with Claire, to fiery eyes and a big grin when she runs off to buy beef bowls because she wants one so bad. |
| 137 | * WorthyOpponent: |
| 138 | ** Rod deems her one after their chess match, Rae's DeliberateUnderperformance not going unnoticed by the [[TheStrategist military genius]]. |
| 139 | ** Claire admits Rae is a more gifted mage as the two discuss their daughters' abilities. |
| 140 | --->'''Claire:''' “Don’t forget, Rae. You’re a dual-caster, with ultra-high aptitude at that. I still haven’t forgotten the humiliation I suffered when we competed over the first test results.” |
| 141 | * YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: [[spoiler:Manaria]] tells Rae as much while rescuing her from a HeroicBSOD induced by [[spoiler:Claire [[UnwantedRescue refusing to be rescued]] from [[MakeAnExampleOfThem The Revolution]].]] |
| 142 | -->'''[[spoiler:Manaria:]]''' “Rae, you’re extraordinary. I don’t think I could engineer half the plans and preparations you have, let alone devise a way to save Claire and then actually execute it. But you should allow yourself to fight with Claire. Even just once. You may act the clown, but you’re an intensely rational person while Claire is an emotional one. You did your best to stay calm for her, didn’t you? Don’t do that, not this time. And don’t try to fix things—just let her see your raw emotions.” |
| 143 | [[/folder]] |
| 144 | |
| 145 | [[folder:Claire François]] |
| 146 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sscc_ln_claire_cover.png]] |
| 147 | ->'''Voiced by''': Creator/KarinNanami (Japanese), Creator/LindsaySheppard (English) |
| 148 | Heiress to the François family and object of Rae's affections, Claire was ''Revolution's'' [[AlphaBitch villainess]] prior to Rae's meddling [[OffTheRails altering the original plot]]. Her classism and [[{{Ojou}} noble airs]] place her in stark opposition to the commoner, but various trials and tribulations [[RelationshipUpgrade bring the pair closer]]. |
| 149 | ---- |
| 150 | * TheAce: Though OvershadowedByAwesome in ''Revolution'', Claire is a beautiful {{Ojou}} rivaled only by Bauer's royals in academic performance, seated in the [[AbsurdlyPowerfulStudentCouncil Academy Knights]], and a LadyOfWar powerful enough to rival Rae in combat. |
| 151 | * TheBully: Her role in both ''Revolution'' and ''[[YuriGenre Revolution: Lily Side]], tormenting the protagonists and doing her best to obstruct their romantic pursuits. Downplayed in the story proper, as her bullying methods are [[PokeThePoodle milquetoast at best]] and only encourage the masochistic Rae. |
| 152 | * CatchPhrase: Claire is prone to saying "Absolutely not!" when furiously shutting down any of Rae's advances or suggestions that are based in her manic, obsessive affection for her. |
| 153 | * CharacterDevelopment: Claire begins a homophobe convinced there are NoBisexuals and an elitist so classist she [[spoiler:[[BitchSlap backhands]] Lene]] for merely suggesting commoners deserve a better station in life. Various [[GayAesop Gay Aesops]], [[BathOfPoverty Baths of Poverty]], and [[AnOfferYouCantRefuse blackmail]] victims later, Claire accepts same-sex attraction as legitimate and finds her own in Rae, becomes [[DefrostingIceQueen more upfront about her feelings]], and vows to solve Bauer's wealth gap by [[spoiler:joining the Revolution.]] |
| 154 | * ChildhoodFriendRomance: Having mistook Manaria for a boy, she develops a crush on the princess after her words pulls Claire from the [[DespairEventHorizon depression she entered]] following her mother's [[spoiler:assassination]], persisting well into their time at the academy despite Claire considering herself straight. |
| 155 | * ClingyJealousGirl: Just look at [[DeathGlare her expression]] when [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRoalQVnVzBJZh1IksIRhHmnwOIebe8BpgEnTGyBSB1bMCv5OpCwV1PR_M1&s=10 she sees Lily hugging Rae]] |
| 156 | * DefrostingIceQueen: Her attitude toward Rae and honesty regarding her emotions improve greatly as the story progresses, [[GayAesop discarding her homophobia]], [[NobleBigot classism]], and HeroicSelfDeprecation to enjoy a fulfilling romance together. |
| 157 | * DisintegratorRay: Her signature spell, Magic Ray, is comprised of several orbs bearing the François family crest which emit a deadly beam of light. |
| 158 | * DoNotCallMeSir: Claire laments Rae continuing to call her "Miss Claire" despite being [[BabiesEverAfter married with kids]], eventually forcing her to drop the deference in Act 2's [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue epilogue]]. |
| 159 | * EveryoneHasStandards: Part of the reason Rae takes her bullying in stride is because she knows not to cross certain lines, like hiding Rae's book instead of disposing of it altogether. Claire once considered dumping tea on Rae, but soon balked at the idea of actually pouring boiling water on someone. |
| 160 | * FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler:Claire surrenders herself to the Revolution knowing she'll be executed to symbolize the aristocracy's end, spurring Rae and friends into a RoaringRampageOfRescue.]] |
| 161 | * FormalCharactersUseKeigo: Her speech patterns in Japanese are very polite, even using the highly formal [[UsefulNotes/JapanesePronouns "watakushi"]] when referring to herself, to emphasize her nobility. |
| 162 | * GlassCannon: As noted by Torrid Magic himself, the element of fire is an ideal element for ''offense.'' Claire is a master of fire magic that can use it to conjure laser beams, one of the single strongest examples of pure power in the story. However, fire does little to offer protection, and Claire's upbringing means she's not the most robust combatant. Thankfully for her, she tends to be paired up with Rae, whose powers are ''perfect'' for granting Claire succor during and after a fight, meaning that when paired together with Rae Claire can focus almost entirely on overwhelming her foes. |
| 163 | * HeroicSelfDeprecation: Claire constantly puts herself down under the belief everyone despises her and assumes Rae's antics are part of an elaborate ploy to humiliate or otherwise ruin her, only opening up to the commoner when she has evidence to the contrary. |
| 164 | -->'''Claire:''' "So, it is simply because you like my appearance?" |
| 165 | -->'''Rae:''' "No, it's your personality that I love." |
| 166 | -->'''Claire:''' "...Even if you say that, I'm well aware of what kind of person I am. I'm not the sort of person anyone could truly like." |
| 167 | * HonorBeforeReason: Claire's aristocratic pride leads her to [[spoiler:abandon Rae and accept execution by the revolutionaries over abandoning her family title, holding herself responsible for Bauer's downfall despite aiding King I'Ausseil's anti-corruption crackdown, joining the Commoner's Movement, and using her own assets to keep the populace fed in Mt. Sassal's aftermath.]] |
| 168 | * IfItsYouItsOkay: She originally attempts to use this excuse to explain her feelings for Rae, but Rae makes it clear that bisexuality is a perfectly legitimate sexual orientation and that Claire shouldn't have to justify feeling romantic attraction for both men and women. |
| 169 | * InsistentTerminology: She claims not to have trouble dealing with undead because they're merely monsters, unlike actual ghosts. |
| 170 | -->'''Rae:''' “At this rate, everyone is going to be looking at you to save them. I thought you were afraid of ghosts?” |
| 171 | -->'''Claire:''' “I-I-I’m j-j-just fine! And the undead are not ghosts!” |
| 172 | * ItsAllMyFault: Claire blames herself for [[spoiler:Lene and Lambert's [[AbuseInducedBetrayal betrayal]], believing her abuse following the maid's endorsement of the Commoner's Movement led Lene to believe she couldn't seek help from her master.]] |
| 173 | * JerkassRealization: Witnessing the abject poverty of Eulcid's commoners, from the Taylor family's [[StockMedievalMeal terrible food]] and [[BathOfPoverty lack of daily baths]] to [[spoiler:Louie conspiring with Nur to [[LeonineContract afford a cure for her dying mother]]]] leads the Claire to realize how dire the kingdom's classism and wealth gap is. |
| 174 | -->'''Claire:''' “I had no idea what it really meant to be poor. It’s not just having less money, is it? It means you might be forced to do terrible things to save someone important to you.” |
| 175 | -->'''Rae:''' “Not always. But it’s true that the poor have fewer options than the more fortunate.” |
| 176 | -->'''Claire:''' “What [[spoiler:Louie]] did was unforgivable. But denouncing him misses the point.” |
| 177 | -->'''Rae:''' “The point?” |
| 178 | -->'''Claire:''' “Poverty is evil. And our politicians are neglecting those citizens who live in this wicked condition. In other words, the flaw lies in the system itself.” |
| 179 | * LethalChef: Claire's culinary attempts often lead to exploded pots and utensils, as with her tries at crème brûlée in Act 1's [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue epilogue]], relying on Rae and Aleah for meals. |
| 180 | * MissingMom: A young Clare's spat preceding Melica François' [[spoiler:assasination]] left her in serious depression before meeting Manaria, with Lene serving as a replacement [[AdoptivePeerParent mother figure]]. |
| 181 | * NoPlaceForMeThere: [[spoiler:Claire surrenders herself to the Revolution in the belief she and the remaining aristocrats have no place in a reformed Bauer.]] |
| 182 | * ObliviousToLove: She refuses to accept Rae's advances are borne of genuine romantic interest prior to [[spoiler:defeating Manaria]] in the Scales of Love arc. |
| 183 | * PartingWordsRegret: told her mother that she hated her right before the latter went on a trip she never returned from and still hates herself for it. |
| 184 | * PlayingWithFire: Claire uses high aptitude fire-magic to power her signature spell, [[DisintegratorRay Magic Ray]]. |
| 185 | * RichBitch: Downplayed as despite being the Minister of Finance's daughter and thus of far higher status than most non-royal aristocrats, her [[TookALevelInKindness initial]] haughtiness is solely displayed to commoners. |
| 186 | * TheRival: Defied in the story proper as Rae [[OffTheRails pursing Claire instead of the capture targets]] leads the pair to become lovers rather than enemies competing for the princes' affection. |
| 187 | * TookALevelInKindness: She begins a [[RichBitch haughty noble]] who gradually overcomes her classism and homophobia as the story progresses. |
| 188 | * {{Tsundere}}: Claire's issues with expressing her emotions honestly leads the noble to mask otherwise well-intentioned acts behind a [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold cold facade]]. Usually played for laughs in Act 2 given her [[DefrostingIceQueen opening up]] to Rae and the cast. |
| 189 | -->'''Rae:''' “C’mon, Miss Claire. Show me more of your cold side again.” |
| 190 | -->'''Claire:''' “I-I will not!” |
| 191 | -->'''Rae:''' “Good, just like that!” |
| 192 | -->'''Claire:''' “Wha—it’s not like I’m being cold toward you or anything!” |
| 193 | -->'''Rae:''' ''She said the line, folks! What an angel!'' |
| 194 | * TsurimeEyes: Claire's sharp eyes give her a perpetually snooty expression compared to the wide-eyed, friendlier Rae. |
| 195 | [[/folder]] |
| 196 | |
| 197 | ! The Capture Targets |
| 198 | [[folder:Rod Bauer]] |
| 199 | ->'''Voiced by''': Creator/{{KENN}} (Japanese), Corey Wilder (English) |
| 200 | Bauer's fiery crown prince and the eldest, most popular capture target, Rod supplements his military genius with powerful swordplay and fire magic. Against her [[InsultBackfire best efforts]], he becomes enamored with Rae Taylor. |
| 201 | ---- |
| 202 | * AnArmAndALeg: Loses an arm during the eruption of Mt. Sassal. Surprisingly, this doesn't slow him down much, overall. |
| 203 | * BarelyChangedDubName: The official translation shortens his name from Rodd (ロッド) to "Rod". |
| 204 | * {{BFG}}: Rod's experimental weapon, [[spoiler:The Focalizer, a handheld cannon firing [[EnergyWeapon powerful beams of magic]].]] |
| 205 | * BigDamnHeroes: He saves Rae and her party from the BigBad by [[spoiler:destroying the Demon Queen's barrier with his [[{{BFG}} new magic weapon]], forcing her and Platos to retreat.]] |
| 206 | * BigManOnCampus: Rod is generally well-loved among the student body, implied to be very popular with women (both in ''Revolution'' and its fanbase), and is a prominent member of the [[AbsurdlyPowerfulStudentCouncil Academy Knights]]. |
| 207 | * DontYouDarePityMe: Rod despises receving preferential treatment on account of his status, chastising Misha's refusal to fight a royal during their [[WizardDuel practical exam]]. In the Future of Humanity arc, he's revealed to [[spoiler:have [[MoralityAdjustment abandoned this worldview]] after royalist villagers save him from Mt. Sassal's eruption at their own expense.]] |
| 208 | * EnergyWeapon: Rod creates [[spoiler:The Focalizer, a medium-range cannon storing the magic of several people to fire powerful beams of PureEnergy.]] |
| 209 | * FireBreathingWeapon: Rod modifies his sword with a magic crystal, using it to cast Flame Troops and other fire spells without a wand. |
| 210 | * GracefulLoser: [[spoiler:Socrat's NearVillainVictory]] aside, Rod remains amicable in defeat and bears no animosity following his [[CurbStompBattle duel with Manaria]] or Rae's [[DeliberateUnderPerformance belittling]] and harsh rejections. He even supports Thane's [[spoiler:kingship despite spending his entire life as the expectant heir.]] |
| 211 | * HopelessSuitor: His IncompatibleOrientation with Rae—a lesbian with both an [[PrinceCharmingWannabe unfavorable view of the prince]] and single-minded devotion to Claire dooms Rod's relentless pursuit of the commoner. |
| 212 | * InsultBackfire: Rod is too intrigued with Rae's talent to be offended by her harsh rejections and maliciously DeliberateUnderPerformance during their chess match, growing more interested in the commoner instead. |
| 213 | * MasterSwordsman: Though admittedly weaker than Dorothea and Manaria, Rod is an excellent swordsman capable of holding his own against [[spoiler:Socrat]] and leading Bauer's forces in battle. |
| 214 | * TheMinionMaster: Rod uses his [[PlayingWithFire fire aptitude]] and absurd [[{{Mana}} magic capacity]] to create an endless swarm of flaming mooks. |
| 215 | * NerdsAreSexy: Rod's Rejection Affection is fueled by an admiration for Rae's wit and breathe of knowledge unbefitting her [[TheDitz ditzy commoner]] facade. |
| 216 | * NiceGuy: Despite Rae's description as a brash and conceited prince, Rod is shown to be an amicable man and among the few aristocrats concerned with commoners' well-being. He's also a GracefulLoser in both combat and romance, never bearing animosity toward Manaria or Rae |
| 217 | * NoSell: [[spoiler:Socrat's]] NighInvulnerability causes the majority of Rod's attacks to either bounce off their body or be [[HealingFactor negated entirely]]. |
| 218 | * PastimesProvePersonality: Rod's love of dueling and chess are indicative of his strong, militaristic nature. |
| 219 | * PlayingWithFire: Rod has medium-aptitude Fire magic with unusually high [[{{Mana}} magic capacity]]. |
| 220 | * SmartPeoplePlayChess: Befitting his military genius, Rod's intelligence is first demonstrated in his ability to notice Rae's intentional poor moves in their chess match, fostering a LoveEpiphany as he sees through her [[TheDitz facade]]. |
| 221 | * SpringtimeForHitler: The [[DeliberateUnderperformance talent Rae displays]] in her [[InsultBackfire efforts]] to drive Rod away only fuel the prince's RejectionAffection toward her. |
| 222 | * TheStrategist: Rod's strategic mind is demonstrated in both his skill for chess, and his leadership preventing student casualties during the [[spoiler:Chimera incident]]. Later, his magic research and command of Bauer's forces become key in the heroes' efforts against the BigBad. |
| 223 | * TooMuchAlike: Rae dislikes the prince for being obnoxious, pushy, and never taking 'no' for an answer despite possessing these same qualities as she pursues Claire. |
| 224 | * WeakButSkilled: It's noted his capability as a fire mage is purely average, which stacks him poorly against the much more versatile Rae and the far stronger Claire. However, his ''capacity'' is noted to be exemplary, as he can cast spells over more prolonged periods than most people, and he's noted to be one of the most creative fire casters in the setting. His signature spell barely even qualifies for fire magic beyond the fact his flamging soldiers explode - he's mostly making semi-sentient minions that follow his command, perfect for his status as TheStrategist. |
| 225 | [[/folder]] |
| 226 | |
| 227 | [[folder:Thane Bauer]] |
| 228 | ->'''Voiced by''': Creator/DaisukeNamikawa (Japanese), Creator/OscarSeung (English) |
| 229 | The second prince of Bauer and initial object of Claire's affections, Thane is a stoic man haunted by an inferiority complex toward Rod and Yu. Befitting his SuccessfulSiblingSyndrome, he was ''Revolution's'' least popular capture target. |
| 230 | ---- |
| 231 | * AlwaysSomeoneBetter: The source of Thane's animosity towards his siblings, who excel in stratagem, political acumen, combat, and other qualities required of a king. |
| 232 | * BlowYouAway: He uses wind magic to augment his speed and striking strength, making for an excellent brawler. |
| 233 | * DefrostingIceKing: Initially a distant, grouchy individual solely concerned with activities he deems befitting a king, Thane eventually warms up to the cast, and most notably, Rod. |
| 234 | * DubNameChange: His name was changed from Sein (セイン) to "Thane" in the official translation. |
| 235 | * TheGoodKing: |
| 236 | ** [[spoiler:Thane refuses to jeopardize his people's safety as Bauer's newly appointed king, permitting Claire and his other aristocratic friends' execution to keep Nur from invading.]] |
| 237 | ** [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue Act 2's epilogue]] reveals his post-[[spoiler:Demon Queen]] leadership is hailed as second only to [[spoiler:Manaria]] and a worthy successor to the Wise King I’Ausseil. |
| 238 | * HopelessSuitor: Thane's mentioned to be rejected by an unnamed woman in [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue Act 1's epilogue]]. |
| 239 | * MamasBabyPapasMaybe: [[spoiler:Rae's investigation reveals Thane to be a bastard child between Prime Minister Salas Lilium and the late Queen Lulu.]] |
| 240 | * MaternalDeathBlameTheChild: Thane holds himself responsible for Queen Lulu's [[DeathByChildBirth death]], his fear that I'Ausseil and the aristocracy hold similar grudges exacerbating his inferiority complex. |
| 241 | * NonActionGuy: His lack of combat experience following the revolution relegates him from one the cast's most capable fighters to a strong leader with little use in battle. |
| 242 | -->'''Rod:'''' “Thane, you should return to Bauer for now. The citizens saw what just happened up close and are likely in a state of panic.” |
| 243 | -->'''Thane:''' “But what of the battle with [[spoiler:the Demon Queen?"]] |
| 244 | -->'''Yu:''' “I hate to be this blunt, Brother, but with how long it’s been since you’ve fought, I don’t think you’ll be much help in a fight,” |
| 245 | * OvershadowedByAwesome: Rod and Yu's immense popularity and near-perfect scores outshine Thane's otherwise excellent feats and academic performance. |
| 246 | * PastimesProvePersonality: Thane's penchant for the harp is indicative of a gentle personality beneath his cold exterior. |
| 247 | * SuccessfulSiblingSyndrome: As middle child of the royal family, Thane is well-above average yet [[OvershadowedByAwesome overshadowed]] by the even more spectacular [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter Rod and Yu Bauer]]. |
| 248 | * YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: Rae sets up a king's game in which she gives progressively unreasonable orders, highlighting Thane's refusal to comply as having the qualities befitting a king. |
| 249 | ** He repays the favor with his own speech during Rae's CurbStompBattle-induced HeroicBSOD. |
| 250 | --->'''Thane:''' "It's true, the world is full of unfair things. Even if you desire something, whatever you do, it feels like nothing goes your way. Still, your indominable attitude against this harsh world was incredible to me." |
| 251 | [[/folder]] |
| 252 | |
| 253 | [[folder:Yu Bauer '''(SPOILERS)''']] |
| 254 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/iftv_ln_yu.jpg]] |
| 255 | ->'''Voiced by''': Creator/YokoHikasa (Japanese), Creator/CiaranStrange (English) |
| 256 | Youngest member of the royal family and Misha's childhood friend, Yu is a cunning princess afflicted with the [[GenderBender crosswise]] [[GenderBenderAngst curse]] by her mother, Riche, to [[RaisedAsTheOppositeGender ensure her right to succession]]. |
| 257 | ---- |
| 258 | * BarelyChangedDubName: The official translation shortens her name from Yuu (ユー) to "Yu". |
| 259 | * BattleCouple: She always fights alongside Misha in Act 2, using her [[SuperScream Siren]] technique to make her Icicle Blade vibrate. |
| 260 | * BetaCouple: Her relationship with Misha is pivotal to many events throughout the story, even if not as prominent as Rae and Claire's. |
| 261 | * BickeringCouplePeacefulCouple: She and Misha briefly become one in their spats over Riche, needing Rae to serve as mediator. |
| 262 | * ChildhoodFriendRomance: Yu fell for Misha prior to her losing her noble status, later becoming an item when they [[LockedAwayInAMonastery live together in the convent]]. |
| 263 | * ElementalWeapon: She uses an ice sword in combat. |
| 264 | * GenderBender: Her mother afflicted her with the crosswise curse, a communicable disease which changes one's gender presentation unless [[SupernaturallyValidatedTransPerson under a full moon]]. |
| 265 | * GenderBenderAngst: Riche's scheme to make Yu eligible for the throne subjects her a life of gender dysphoria, with Rae desperate to lift the [[GenderBender crosswise curse]] and [[spoiler:spare her from their prior-life friend [[GayngstInducedSuicide Misaki's fate]].]] |
| 266 | -->'''Yu:''' “Personally…if it were possible, I would like everyone to know I’m a girl.” |
| 267 | -->'''Salas:''' "Master Yu..." |
| 268 | -->'''Yu:''' “Don’t look at me like that, Salas. There’s nothing that can be done about it, so here I am, performing the perfect prince you all see me as. But I can’t change my feelings." |
| 269 | * {{Irony}}: Embarrassed, Rae admonishes Yu and Misha's SickeninglySweethearts routine despite spending most of her time at the Royal Academy making boisterous love professions to Claire. |
| 270 | -->'''Yu:''' “Ah. Sorry, Rae! The mood was just kind of right—and before I knew it, this happened." |
| 271 | -->'''Rae:''' “Don’t give me that! Do you have any idea how awkward it is to see your friends profess their love to one another?” |
| 272 | -->'''Yu:''' “What? Like you did during the revolution?” |
| 273 | * LockedAwayInAMonastery: Yu is confined to the Spiritual Church's convent after [[spoiler:being cured of her [[GenderBender crosswise curse]],]] where she [[ChildhoodFriendRomance becomes an item with Misha]]. |
| 274 | * MakingASplash: Her water aptitude allows her to use [[IceMagicIsWater "Icicle Blades"]] and [[HealItWithWater healing magic]]. |
| 275 | * PastimesProvePersonality: Yu's wit and cunning is demonstrated by her fooling all but Rae while [[CunningPeoplePlayPoker cheating at poker]], and [[CunningPeoplePlayPoker her talent in chess]], with Rae noting the "Hidden Yu" AI was so skilled it was hard to imagine being from a dating sim. |
| 276 | * RaisedAsTheOppositeGender: Following her twin brother's TragicStillbirth, Riche secretly has a newborn Yu afflicted with the [[GenderBender crosswise curse]] to make her eligible for the throne, forcing her to live with [[GenderBenderAngst gender dysphoria]] [[spoiler:until being cured with help from Rae, Misha, and Lilly.]] |
| 277 | * RedBaron: Nicknamed the Prince(ss) of Ice. |
| 278 | * SickeninglySweethearts: To Rae's chagrin, she makes up with Misha in a highly explicit manner preceding a SexyDiscretionShot. |
| 279 | -->'''Misha:''' “No, we’re not fine. If you really meant what you said, then prove it to me, right here and now,” |
| 280 | -->'''Yu:''' “Prove it?” |
| 281 | -->'''Misha:''' “Yes, prove it.” |
| 282 | -->'''Yu:''' “Hmmm… Well, there you have it, Rae. Gonna stay and watch?” |
| 283 | -->'''Rae:''' “Good night!” ''I turned on my heels and fled the room. A brief instant before I turned, I saw their shadows overlap.'' |
| 284 | * SupernaturallyValidatedTransPerson: Yu reverts to her true gender under a full moon, giving a brief reprieve from her dysphoria and [[spoiler:allowing her to be cured by [[MagicAntidote Tears of the Moon]].]] |
| 285 | -->'''Yu:''' “As of now, I’m able to be seen as myself once a month, under the light of the full moon, and in those moments, I finally feel a balance between my mind and soul. |
| 286 | * WalkingSpoiler: She's impossible to discuss at length without mentioning her gender dysphoria, spoiling much of the Yu's Secret arc. |
| 287 | [[/folder]] |
| 288 | |
| 289 | ! Friends and Allies |
| 290 | [[folder:Misha Jur]] |
| 291 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/iftv_manga27_misha.png]] |
| 292 | ->'''Voiced by''': Creator/AimiTerakawa (Japanese), Creator/MarisaDuran (English) |
| 293 | A childhood friend to both Claire and Yu prior to her house's [[ImpoverishedPatrician dissolution]], and Rae's first friend upon [[NextLifeAsAFictionalCharacter awakening at the Royal Academy]]. Despite Misha's exasperation at Rae's antics, she remains her trustworthy roommate and RomanticWingman. |
| 294 | ---- |
| 295 | * BattleCouple: She always fights alongside Yu in the latter half of the story, combining her [[MakeSomeNoise Siren]] technique to make vibrating Icicle Blades. |
| 296 | * BetaCouple: While not as prominent as the protagonists', Misha's romance with Yu is pivotal to key events throughout the story. |
| 297 | * BickeringCouplePeacefulCouple: Misha and Yu briefly become one in their spats over Riche, requiring Rae to mediate thier fights. |
| 298 | * BokeAndTsukkomiRoutine: Misha serves as the StraightMan to Rae, doing her best to temper the commoner's boisterous pursuit of Claire. |
| 299 | * ChildhoodFriendRomance: She's loved Yu prior to the [[ImpoverishedPatrician Jur's dissolution]], later becoming an item after [[spoiler:helping cure her [[GenderBender crosswise curse]] and [[LockedAwayInAMonastery moving to the convent]] together.]] |
| 300 | * DubNameChange: Her family name was changed from Yule (ユール) to "Jur". |
| 301 | * FirstFriend: She's the first friend Taylor made in Euclid, and the first Rae has upon reincarnating. |
| 302 | * {{Foil}}: Misha contrasts Rae’s boisterousness with a StraightMan demeanor, often chastising or putting a stop to her mischief. |
| 303 | * GreenEyedMonster: Hates it when anyone else flirts with Yuu, or if she even thinks they are. In the anime, when someone flirts with Yu in front of her, she's shown with an {{oni}} mask, with dark flames coming out of it, and when Yu seems to flirt with Rae during the poker game, Misha glares at the latter with blue flames coming out of her eyes and her hair shooting up as if she was going [[Manga/DragonBallZ super saiyan]] or someone put a powerful fan under her feet. |
| 304 | * IfItsYouItsOkay: Her initial rationalization for remaining attracted to Yu after [[spoiler:her [[GenderBender crosswise curse]] is lifted]], believing there are NoBisexuals. |
| 305 | * ImpoverishedPatrician: The Jur house was dissolved following a political spat with a rival family, separating the now commoner Misha from Yu and Claire as she moves to Euclid. |
| 306 | * InterclassFriendship: She remains friends with Yu and Claire despite becoming an ImpoverishedPatrician. |
| 307 | * MakeSomeNoise: Misha's "Siren" technique uses [[BlowYouAway wind magic]] to manipulate sound. |
| 308 | * LockedAwayInAMonastery: Misha joins Yu in the Spiritual Church's convent after [[spoiler:she reveals herself as a woman previously afflicted the [[GenderBender crosswise curse]].]] |
| 309 | * OddFriendship: Misha and Rae are polar opposites, the former calm and subdued while the latter's boisterousness appears to grate on them constantly. Still, they remain close friends even after Rae's revealed to have [[spoiler:become [[NextLifeAsAFictionalCharacter someone else]] entirely]] |
| 310 | * RomanticWingman: Misha does her best to aid Rae's pursuit of Claire, her initial advice having GoneHorriblyRight when it spurs them into the very antics she despises. |
| 311 | -->'''Rae:''' “Hey, what do you think the best way to maximize my time with Miss Claire would be?” |
| 312 | -->'''Misha:''' “Were you always such a pain in the butt? I suppose you’d need to be someone Miss Claire couldn’t ignore.” |
| 313 | * SecretKeeper: Twice revealed in the Yu's secret arc. |
| 314 | ** Misha agrees not to disclose the nature of [[spoiler:''Revolution'' and Rae's [[NextLifeAsAFictionalCharacter reincarnation]] following a confrontation over her sudden personality shift since enrollment.]] |
| 315 | ** She's revealed to have cooperated with the royal family to keep Yu's [[spoiler:[[GenderBender crosswise curse]]]] hidden. |
| 316 | * StraightMan: Misha's a level-headed individual doing her best to keep Rae and, [[spoiler:after joining the convent together,]] Yu's antics in line. |
| 317 | [[/folder]] |
| 318 | |
| 319 | [[folder:Lene and Lambert Aurousseau]] |
| 320 | [[quoteright:275:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/iftv_ln_lene.jpg]] |
| 321 | [[caption-width-right:275:Lene beside her master, Claire.]] |
| 322 | ->'''Lene voiced by''': Creator/IkumiHasegawa (Japanese), Creator/KaraEdwards (English) |
| 323 | Siblings of the familial Aurousseau Commercial Firm, Lene has served as Claire's maid since childhood in her family's efforts to earn favor with the François, while Lambert is an apt student serving as Deputy Commander of the Academy Knights. |
| 324 | ---- |
| 325 | * AdaptationalVillainy: In the light novel, Lene is accompanied by several mooks who [[spoiler:hold the unconscious Claire at knifepoint]] whereas the manga and anime has the maid acting alone, giving her more agency and making for a less sympathetic portrayal despite [[IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure the duress]]. |
| 326 | * AdoptivePeerParent: Lene quickly became a trusted friend to Claire, and later a mother figure after [[spoiler:Melica François' assassination]] despite being only a few years older. |
| 327 | * BackForTheFinale: They return from exile to aid Rae's RoaringRampageOfRescue in the Revolution arc. |
| 328 | * BrotherSisterIncest: Their romance is exploited by Nur, whose [[AnOfferYouCantRefuse blackmail]] leads to the siblings' exile, later [[HappilyMarried marrying]] and using Rae's recipes to form a successful restaurant in [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue Act 1's epilogue]]. |
| 329 | * DrillSergeantNasty: Lene becomes one while preparing the Academy Knights for the [[WholesomeCrossdresser Cavelier]] [[CosplayCafe Café]], to everyone's horror. |
| 330 | -->'''Lene:''' “What are the basics of the Way of the Maid?” |
| 331 | -->'''Academy Knights:''' “Devotion and service!” |
| 332 | -->'''Lene:''' “And a strong greeting?” |
| 333 | -->'''Academy Knights:''' “Welcome home, Master!” |
| 334 | -->'''Rae:''' ''Would nobody come to our rescue?'' |
| 335 | * DubNameChange: Their family name was changed from Orso (オルソ) to "Aurousseau" in the official translation. |
| 336 | * TheExile: Initially faced with execution, Rae, Claire, and [[spoiler:Thane]] successfully lobby to have the Aurousseau family exiled for the siblings' treason. |
| 337 | * HappilyMarried: The siblings enjoy both a successful marriage and bussiness in their exile. |
| 338 | * ImpoverishedPatrician: Once the kingdom's wealthiest non-aristocratic family, the Aurousseau are [[TheExile exiled]] and their firm and assets seized as punishment for the siblings' treason. |
| 339 | * IveComeTooFar: Lambert says as much while apologizing to Claire before unleashing a Chimera on the Royal Academy students. |
| 340 | * IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure: The empire threatens to kill Lene should Lambert back out or fail to murder the Royal Academy students. |
| 341 | * {{Meido}}: Lene is a young, boisterous maid serving Claire François. |
| 342 | * MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: Claire fears her [[BitchSlap abuse]] following Lene's advocacy for the Commoner Movement spurred the maid into betrayal, foreshadowing [[spoiler:her own HeelFaceTurn]] in the School Holiday arc. |
| 343 | * AnOfferYouCantRefuse: The empire gives one to Lambert, forcing the siblings to either betray Claire and murder aristocrats, or [[IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure pay with Lene's life]]. |
| 344 | * RedemptionPromotion: The pair makes the most of their exile, going from maid and research student to proprietors of Frater Trading, a company rivaling the famous Broumet. |
| 345 | * SatelliteLoveInterest: Lambert is almost entirely absent from Act 2, his seldom mentions only concerning his relation to Lene. |
| 346 | * ShamelessSelfPromoter: She constantly plugs Frater Trading during Aleah's CookingDuel against Nur's imperial chefs. |
| 347 | -->'''Lene:''' “Things are getting heated! Once again, this event is sponsored by Frater Trading. Frater Trading: We’re there for you.” |
| 348 | * SupremeChef: Lene becomes one thanks to a head-start from Rae's recipes, using her culinary skills to propel Frater Trading into stardom and aid Aleah in her CookingDuel against the empire. |
| 349 | * WalkingSpoiler: The siblings are impossible to discuss at length without revealing their incestuous romance or betrayal of Claire. Lene is also impossible to discuss without mentioning that [[spoiler:she is the incarnation of the original Lene on Earth who created the [[EternalRecurrence Eternal Loop System]] with the original Claire and Rei.]] |
| 350 | [[/folder]] |
| 351 | |
| 352 | [[folder:Manaria Sousse]] |
| 353 | ->'''Voiced by''': Creator/NanaMizuki (Japanese), Creator/KatelynBarr (English) |
| 354 | [[quoteright:270:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/iftv_ln_manaria.jpg]] |
| 355 | Crown Princess of the Sousse Kingdom and Claire François' close childhood friend, who's sent to the Royal Academy following a fued over the throne. Manaria insers herself as a love rival to Rae Taylor, but soon becomes an invaluable ally. |
| 356 | ---- |
| 357 | * EleventhHourRanger: She aids Rae's RoaringRampageOfRescue in the Revolution arc, later returning to aid her efforts against [[spoiler:The Demon Queen]] in the Future of Humanity arc. |
| 358 | * TheAce: She's a quad-caster of exceptional aptitude and a SwordMaster rivaled only by Dorothea the "Sword God" in ability, with the prestiege and political acumen befitting a crown princess. |
| 359 | * AlwaysABiggerFish: To Rae, serving as a WakeUpCallBoss and the first obstacle her knowledge of ''Revolution'' alone cannot overcome. |
| 360 | * AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: She's both crown princess, [[spoiler:and eventual Queen]] of Sousse, and among the story's most powerful characters owing to her quad-casting and powerful swordplay. |
| 361 | * BarelyChangedDubName: Her last name, and kingdom itself, was changed from Suusu (スース) to "Sousse". |
| 362 | * BitchInSheepsClothing: Manaria's genteel persona quickly drops once she begins competing for Claire's affection, goading Rae into a brutal CurbStompBattle in her [[spoiler:SecretTestOfCharacter, having fallen for the commoner.]] |
| 363 | * BrokenAce: Manaria's [[LovingBully sadistic tendencies]] and {{Gayngst}} leaves the seemingly perfect woman a HopelessSuitor with both [[spoiler:Rae Taylor]] and her previous maid, [[spoiler:Eve Nuhn.]] |
| 364 | * CrutchCharacter: Downplayed as while Manaria remains a powerful ally in Act 2, Dorothea and the BigBad's power and AntiMagic relegates much of her [[StoryBreakerPower arsenal]] to an ineffectual DiscOneNuke. |
| 365 | * CurbstompBattle: She delivers one to both Rod and Rae, the latter's being especially harsh as they nearly die to her MageKiller spell, Dominator. |
| 366 | -->'''Rae:''' ''I know everything there is to know about the world of this game. And it is precisely because I know it all that I can say one thing for certain. I... can never beat her.'' |
| 367 | * GreaterScopeParagon: Manaria counters Nur by forming TheAlliance between Sousse and The Alpes, forcing Dorothea to halt her plans to conquer Bauer or risk the kingdom joining forces and destroying the empire. |
| 368 | * IncompatibleOrientation: |
| 369 | ** She falls for Taylor in ''Revolution'', who was a straight woman solely interested in the capture targets. |
| 370 | ** A misunderstanding with her maid, [[spoiler:Eve Nuhn,]] believing she fled after Manaria coerced her into sex when in reality, [[spoiler:they feared a same-sex relationship would [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy ruin Manaria's chance at the throne]].]] |
| 371 | * LovingBully: Manaria's bout with Rae stems from her own affections with the commoner, using Claire as a proxy in her SecretTestOfCharacter. Lampshaded in ''Literature/ShesSoCheekyForACommoner'' when Claire [[spoiler:reminisces on Manaria's habit of bullying those who pique her interest.]] |
| 372 | * MasterOfAll: Manaria is both a quad-caster with powerful aptitude in [[ElementalPowers each classical element]], and a swordswoman rivaled only by Dorothea "The Sword God" Nur in ability. |
| 373 | * OneeSama: Claire always refers to and addresses Manaria with this. Note the meaning of the term of address in Japanese lesbian culture. |
| 374 | * PutOnABus: Manaria leaves for Sousse after the Scales of Love Arc, returning in [[BackForTheFinale Act 1's finale]] and becoming a GreaterScopeParagon until her [[TheBusCameBack reintroduction]] before the Summit arc. |
| 375 | * TheRival: |
| 376 | ** To Rae in the Scales of Love arc, antagonizing the commoner and goading them into a CurbStompBattle in her false pursuit of Claire. |
| 377 | ** To [[GreaterScopeVillain Dorothea]] in Act 2, forming TheAlliance to counter Nur's [[TakeOverTheWorld aggressive foreign policy]] and being the only human besides [[spoiler:the twins]] able to match her [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking in battle]]. |
| 378 | * StoryBreakerPower: Much of Manaria's arsenal qualifies, making it necessary to be PutOnABus until the climax of both acts. |
| 379 | ** As a quad-caster she can use each [[ElementalPowers classical element]] with aptitudes powerful enough to replicate and counter most spells, or NoSell them with [[TimeMaster time manipulation magic]]. |
| 380 | ** [[AntiMagic Spellbreaker]], a spell which removes foes' ability to use magic and the far deadlier [[MageKiller Dominator]], which deals increasingly fatal damage based on her target's magic aptitude. |
| 381 | * StrongAndSkilled: Manaria is a [[{{TheStrategist}} strategist]] and MasterOfAll intuitive enough to quickly reverse-engineer spells like Rod's Flame Soldiers and replicate them in more [[ElementalRockPaperScissors advantageous elements]] or analyze foes well enough to negate their magic entirely with [[AntiMagic Spellbreaker]]. |
| 382 | * TimeLimitBoss: Rae notes that even in ''Revolution'', spending too much time fighting Manaria will cause her to either stop your magic completely with [[AntiMagic Spellbreaker]], or OneHitKill you with [[ThatOneAttack Dominator]]. %invoked% |
| 383 | [[/folder]] |
| 384 | |
| 385 | [[folder:Pepi and Loretta]] |
| 386 | ->'''Pepi voiced by''': Minami Kurisaka (Japanese), Abigail Blythe (English) |
| 387 | ->'''Loretta voiced by''': Sara Matsumoto (Japanese), Erin Nicole Lundquist (English) |
| 388 | As Claire's childhood friends, Pepi Barlier and Loretta Kugret serve as the bulk of her entourage and minor antagonists in ''Revolution''. |
| 389 | ---- |
| 390 | * AscendedExtra: They have considerably more focus in the Claire-focused POVSequel, ''Literature/ShesSoCheekyForACommoner''. In fact it's revealed they had entire adventures, complex opinions, and even a romance during the timeframe of the original story, it's just that since that story was mainly from Rae's POV none of it ever got mentioned since she mentally dismissed them as just [[{{RecurringExtra}} extras]]. |
| 391 | * ADayInTheLimelight: During the Summer Vacation arc, they get their own sideplot where they attempt to do background checks on Rae in her hometown before giving up and going on a date. Later they get involved in the undead ghost ship invasion. While Rae and Claire are dealing with the ghost ship, they're shown to be protecting the townsfolk. |
| 392 | * GirlPosse: They form a coterie with Claire, egging on her bullying of Rae and advising ways to escalate. |
| 393 | * HeelFaceTurn: The duo apologizes for their bullying [[spoiler:at Rae and Claire's wedding, surprised yet relieved the former had forgotten about them.]] |
| 394 | * HiddenDepths: Loretta is considered one of the greatest pianists of her generation, something that's not immediately obvious given her rough-and-tumble personality. |
| 395 | * MagicKnight: Despite going to a magic school and being a full-fledged mage, Loretta is a deft hand with the sword, having come from a long line of soldiers and military strategists. Melee combat is typically what Loretta defaults to when violence is necessary. |
| 396 | * NobleBigot: They certainly start this way. They're proud of their nobility and enjoy thinking up ways to really stick it to Rae as a cheeky commoner aiming ''way'' too high, but they're also legitimately compassionate people who take their studies - and the responsibilities that come with those studies, up to and including defending others from monsters - very seriously. |
| 397 | * SatelliteCharacter: Rae lampshades regarding the duo as such initially, eventually considering them actual people who befriended Claire. |
| 398 | --> '''Rae:''' "I had once seen Claire’s entourage as a single entity, but I now understood that Claire had enjoyed real, living, breathing friends back at the Academy. No wonder she’d been so upset when I first started pursuing her." |
| 399 | [[/folder]] |
| 400 | |
| 401 | [[folder:Misaki, Kosaki, and Shiko]] |
| 402 | Rae's childhood friends from her previous life as Rei Ohashi, whose experiences together informed her LGBT-friendly worldview and love of fandom. |
| 403 | ---- |
| 404 | * BitchInSheepsClothing: Everyone qualifies to some extent. |
| 405 | ** Misaki outs Rei and ensures she's ostracized to keep her from Shiko, having his own crush on the girl. |
| 406 | ** [[ManipulativeBastard Kosaki]] uses her TenderTears and [[BitchInSheepsClothing delicate persona]] to manipulate Misaki into bullying Rei hard enough to earn Shiko's ire, isolating him and ensuring her own feelings are reciprocated. |
| 407 | ** Shiko adds to the GambitPileup by exposing Rei to media with particular relationship dynamics and separating her from the others to prime Rei into loving them over Kosaki. |
| 408 | * ChildhoodFriendRomance: All of them were vying amongst themselves and Rei for affection, with Misaki and Kosaki emerging victorious (and together). |
| 409 | * ForcedOutOfTheCloset: After discovering Rei's crush on Kosaki, Misaki outs her to the class and has her ostracized as a result. |
| 410 | * GambitPileup: They each use Rei in some ploy to advance their ChildhoodFriendRomance. |
| 411 | * HeteronormativeCrusader: Misaki's parents, who admonished his dysphoria and blamed his suicide on "weakness". |
| 412 | * LoveDodecahedron: Their messy relationship with Rei is a tale filled with [[RelationshipSabotage priming]], [[SquaringTheLoveTriangle squaring]], and [[JustFriends heartbreak]] so befuddling even she has difficulty explaining it to Claire and Lily. |
| 413 | -->'''Rae:''' Rei liked Kosaki, Kosaki liked Misaki, Misaki liked Shiko, and Shiko liked Rei—in short, it was right out of a soap opera. |
| 414 | * TransTribulations: Misaki's rough upbringing and eventual suicide resulted from fearing his dysphoria was a burden to loved ones, spurring Rae into saving [[spoiler:Yu]] from a similar fate. |
| 415 | [[/folder]] |
| 416 | |
| 417 | ! Family Members |
| 418 | [[folder:Mel and Van Taylor]] |
| 419 | Master [[MeaningfulName tailors]] and Rae's loving, adoptive mother and father. The pair raised her in Euclid prior to Rei Ohashi's reincarnation, and are gleeful to host Claire and Rae over break. |
| 420 | ---- |
| 421 | * AbsurdlyYouthfulMother: Rae notes her mother doesn't appear old enough to have a young-adult daughter, despite Mel being in her late thirties. |
| 422 | * FaceOfAThug: Van's polite, reserved demeanor is accompanied by a notably scary mug which intimidates even Claire. |
| 423 | * MeaningfulName: Their family name is derived from their profession as talors. |
| 424 | * MumLooksLikeASister: Claire mistakes Mel for Rae's sister when the two meet, owing to her [[AbsurdlyYouthfulMother teenage-like appearance.]] |
| 425 | * PovertyFood: The Taylors' bland food and lack of [[BathOfPoverty proper bathing facilities]] pushes Claire into a HeelFaceTurn regarding the Commoner Movement. |
| 426 | [[/folder]] |
| 427 | |
| 428 | [[folder:May and Aleah François]] |
| 429 | [[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/iftv_ln_twinscover.jpg]] |
| 430 | [[caption-width-right:310:May enjoying a sandwich beside her twin, Aleah.]] |
| 431 | Survivors of Mt. Sassal's eruption and the main characters' [[HappilyAdopted adoptive]], twin daughters. Their blood curse made the pair a prime target for abuse by their previous family, but the pair quickly warm up to their new mothers. |
| 432 | ---- |
| 433 | * AbsurdCuttingPower: |
| 434 | ** To their mothers' astonishment, [[spoiler:Aleah]] slices [[spoiler:May's]] massive ocean waves and boulders with a tree branch. |
| 435 | ** Their Spell Sword, which can penetrate [[spoiler:Dorothea's AntiMagic and the Demon Queen's barrier.]] |
| 436 | * AntiMagic: [[spoiler:Aleah's colorless aptitude is the opposite of Dorothea's, absorbing magic rather than negating it.]] |
| 437 | * BarelyChangedDubName: Their names: Mei (メイ) and Alea (アレア) became "May" and "Aleah" in the official translation. |
| 438 | * ChildMage: [[spoiler:May is a quad-caster with ultra-high aptitude in each element, able to use any of the [[ElementalPowers classical elements]].]] |
| 439 | * ChildrenAreInnocent: Played for laughs when the twins emulate Claire's tsundere behavior, missing the context behind their mothers' BokeAndTsukkomiRoutine entirely. Rae and Claire's attempt to correct this by posing as SickeninglySweethearts goes [[GoneHorriblyRight horribly right]] when the twins make Dole, and the neighborhood kids faint from CutenessOverload. |
| 440 | * CuttingThroughEnergy: [[spoiler:Aleah's]] swordplay is powerful enough to slice ocean waves born from [[spoiler:May's]] [[NonElemental attribute-less]] magic, and together can penetrate both [[spoiler:Dorothea's AntiMagic and the Demon Queen's barrier]]. |
| 441 | * FinishingEachOthersSentences: Prior to growing close to their mothers, the twins speak in a flat monotone voice, leaving their sentences hanging for the other to complete. Eerily, it's never made clear which twin is speaking. |
| 442 | -->'''???:''' "But we—" |
| 443 | -->'''???:''' "—are cursed." |
| 444 | * LastEpisodeNewCharacter: The twins are introduced in Act 1's WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue, which was meant to conclude the story with a BabiesEverAfter ending for Rae and Claire prior to the [[PostScriptSeason later volumes]]' HappyEndingOverride. |
| 445 | * LateArrivalSpoiler: Volume 3's [[https://images.randomhouse.com/cover/9781648275579 front cover]] spoils Rae and Claire becoming parents, a reveal saved for the twins' introduction in Act 1's WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue. Averted in the ''Revolution'' [[https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81rHfHaV76L.jpg reissue]], which features the couple locking arms. |
| 446 | * ParentalFavoritism: A justified inversion as the twins heavily favor Claire, being the one who names them, invites them to live with her and Rae, and even [[CheerThemUpWithLaughter makes a song]] when her hug reminds the two of their birth mother. It becomes a source of dismay for Rae, who desperately seeks to grow closer to the pair. |
| 447 | -->'''Rod:''' “Heh heh, did I look cool?” |
| 448 | -->'''May:''' “Yes, almost as cool as Mama Claire!” |
| 449 | -->'''Aleah:''' “Just about as cool as Mother Rae!” |
| 450 | * SiblingYinYang: May, [[spoiler:a quad-caster,]] and Aleah, [[spoiler:who absorbs magic.]] |
| 451 | * SuperiorTwinTeamwork: May's [[spoiler:quad-casting]] and Aleah's [[spoiler:magic absorption]] combine to create the Spell Sword, an ability with AbsurdCuttingPower which [[spoiler:destroys the Demon Queen's magic barrier.]] |
| 452 | * SupremeChef: Aleah becomes one under Rae's tutelage, [[spoiler:besting]] Nur's finest chefs in a CookingDuel and training them to improve the empire's infamous cuisine. |
| 453 | * TrainingTheGiftOfMagic: [[spoiler:May]] is unable to use magic to prior to taking lessons at the Imperial Academy's elementary school, where she's lauded as a ChildProdigy. |
| 454 | [[/folder]] |
| 455 | |
| 456 | [[folder:Dole François]] |
| 457 | Bauer's Minister of Finance and a noble of unparallelled political acumen, his influence rivaled only by Salas and the royal family. Dole's [[DevilsAdvocate strict]], [[ZeroApprovalGambit merciless facade]] creates tension with his daughter, Claire François. |
| 458 | ---- |
| 459 | * BarelyChangedDubName: Dor (ドル) was changed to "Dole" in the official translation. |
| 460 | * CrusadingWidower: His wife's murder during a rival house's FamilyExtermination attempt spurs Dole into an elaborate ploy to [[DefectorFromDecadence depose Bauer's aristocracy]], holding the entire ruling class responsible. |
| 461 | * DefectorFromDecadence: The botched FamilyExtermination which claimed Dole's wife led to a HeelFaceTurn regarding the aristocracy's greed and dysfunction. |
| 462 | * FaceDeathWithDignity: He's plans to have [[ThanatosGambit himself]], [[spoiler:and prior to Rae's offer, Claire,]] executed by the Revolution to symbolize the aristocracy's death. |
| 463 | * GoodAllAlong: Dole's actions are revealed to be a ZeroApprovalGambit to both depose Bauer's aristocracy, and [[SecretTestOfCharacter test]] Claire's capacity to challenge its dysfunction. |
| 464 | * GoodIsNotNice: Dole's 'ends justifies the means' philosophy makes an otherwise [[NiceGuy affable gentleman]] a cruel contrarian whenever it might further his goals. |
| 465 | ** His treatment of Claire is abusive at times, [[DevilsAdvocate demeaning]] his daughter and speaking crudely of Lene in a SecretTestOfCharacter, even willing to [[spoiler:have Claire executed alongside him to [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans save Bauer from its aristocracy]].]] |
| 466 | ** ''Literature/ShesSoCheekyForACommoner'' reveals his initial reaction to Rae namedropping key aspects of TheConspiracy was to [[spoiler:plot her assassination, changing his mind only because her [[AnOfferYouCantRefuse counteroffer]] entails sparing Claire from the revolution.]] |
| 467 | * {{Hypocrite}}: Dole admonishes Claire for showing [[spoiler:Lene]] sympathy, telling her nobles gain nothing from sentimentality despite being hellbent on deposing the aristocracy to [[CrusadingWidower avenge his wife]]. Justified, in that these aren't Dole's own feelings on the matter, and he's hoping against hope Claire will eventually show favor towards commoners and support the revolution by continually belittling them; he's eager to see Claire fight him. |
| 468 | * MoleInCharge: He poses as a typical haughty and corrupt noble to destroy the aristocracy from within, using his position to [[spoiler:support the Commoner's Movement in secret.]] |
| 469 | * NoPlaceForMeThere: Dole finances the Commoner's Movement knowing that as Bauer's most powerful nobles, he and Claire will be the first ones executed as an example. |
| 470 | * OpenMindedParent: He opposed Rae and Claire's relationship out of the belief proper families require blood-related descendants but changed tune after realizing how happy they are. |
| 471 | -->'''Dole:''' “I want nothing more than for Claire to live happily, and she’s doing just that these days. There’s no way I could take that away from her by demanding something as foolish as marrying a man and bearing a child.” |
| 472 | * SecretKeeper: |
| 473 | ** Dole appoints Rae as Claire's maid in their plan to save her from the Revolution. ''Literature/ShesSoCheekyForACommoner'' reveals he also kept [[spoiler:Rae's [[NextLifeAsAFictionalCharacter reincarnating]] a secret.]] |
| 474 | ** He hides Arla and Irvine's true identities as [[spoiler:leaders of the Commoner's Movement and children of Count Manuel, a respected noble Salas used as a FallGuy.]] |
| 475 | * ThanatosGambit: In working to [[CrusadingWidower avenge his wife]], Melica, Dole ensures he will be executed as symbols of the aristocracy's deposing. |
| 476 | * WalkingSpoiler: Dole is impossible to discuss at length without mentioning his involvement in the Commoner's Movement. |
| 477 | * ZeroApprovalGambit: His plan entails posing as an [[{{Flanderization}} exaggeratedly]] [[AristocratsAreEvil evil noble]] while working with Rae to ensure Claire is spared as a 'hero of the revolution', while [[ThanatosGambit he dies with the aristocracy]]. |
| 478 | [[/folder]] |
| 479 | |
| 480 | ! The Royal Academy |
| 481 | [[folder:Lana Lahna]] |
| 482 | [[quoteright:270:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/iftv_ln_lana.jpg]] |
| 483 | An upbeat, post-revolution enrollee to the Royal Academy who's friends with Eve Nuhn and infatuated with her instructor, Rae Taylor. She joins the group sent to Nur as political hostages. |
| 484 | ---- |
| 485 | * AllergicToRoutine: Though competent, Lana often shirks her duties as [[spoiler:Dole's aide]] to hang out at the François home, needing be [[TheDragAlong physically dragged back to work]]. |
| 486 | * AlliterativeName: Both ''Lana'' and ''Lahna'' share the same vowel sounds. |
| 487 | * BrainwashedAndCrazy: [[spoiler:Lana's revealed to be another victim of Salas' experiments, her infatuation of Rae being an act to gain enough trust to take the twins hostage.]] |
| 488 | * TheDragAlong: In Act 2's WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue, [[spoiler:Dole]] often needs to drag her back to work. |
| 489 | * {{Foil}}: Lana's the bright [[GenkiGirl genki]] to Eve's unapologetic [[AloofDarkHairedGirl gloom]], adoring Rae whereas Eve utterly despises her. |
| 490 | * GenkiGirl: Lana is an outwardly cheerful schoolgirl and remarkably brash where Rae is concerned, acting as a foil to her friend, Eve. Rae notes her similarity to gyaru girls in Japan. |
| 491 | * GleefulAndGrumpyPairing: Lana's cheerful nature creates this dynamic with Eve, who contrasts her antics with an [[AloofDarkHairedGirl aloof]], [[StraightMan no-nonsense]] attitude. ''Especially'' where Rae is concerned. |
| 492 | * HopelessSuitor: Her pursuit of Rae is as deluded as Lily's, claiming she'd be "totally up for a purely physical affair" to a frustrated Claire. [[spoiler:It's revealed to be a ploy on Salas' part to get closer to the heroes.]] |
| 493 | * HypnoTrinket: [[spoiler:Her white headband compells her into Salas' bidding.]] |
| 494 | [[/folder]] |
| 495 | |
| 496 | [[folder:Eve Nuhn]] |
| 497 | [[quoteright:270:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/iftv_ln_eve.jpg]] |
| 498 | A post-revoluton enrollee to the Royal Academy who despises her instructor, Rae Taylor, for "snatching her lover away". She shares a hometown with Rae and her friend Lana, joining them as political hostages sent to Nur. |
| 499 | ---- |
| 500 | * AloofDarkHairedGirl: She has long, black hair styled into braids on each side and is notably gloomy and distant, especially where Rae is concerned. |
| 501 | * DeadpanSnarker: Her cold demeanor is accompanied by a tendency to deliver cynical quips toward Rae and Lana. |
| 502 | -->'''Rae:''' “I can’t say I’m not worried, but I think it’ll be all right. They’re surprisingly reliable.” |
| 503 | -->'''Eve:''' “They’d have to be, with a mother like you.” |
| 504 | * {{Foil}}: Eve's a near-complete inversion of Lana, both in personality and their opinion of Rae; Eve being a StraightMan who despises her, and Lana a GenkiGirl who adores the instructor. |
| 505 | * GleefulAndGrumpyPairing: Eve shares this dynamic with Lana, the latter contrasting her StraightMan [[AloofDarkHairedGirl aloofness]] with an [[GenkiGirl upbeat persona]]. |
| 506 | * IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: [[spoiler:She quit her position as Manaria's maid and fled from Sousse, fearing a same-sex relationship would ruin her chances at succession.]] |
| 507 | * LoveTriangle: [[spoiler:Eve was the maid Manaria mentions falling out with in the Scales of Love arc, blaming Rae for 'snatching her away'. The pair eventually reunite in Act 2's WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue.]] |
| 508 | * MurderTheHypotenuse: [[spoiler:Salas befuddles Eve's memories prior to becoming Manaria's maid to brainwash her into attacking Rae.]] |
| 509 | * SugarAndIcePersonality: Beneath Eve's cold demeanor lies a caring side, [[spoiler:[[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy having left Manaria's employ]] in fear of harming her chances at the throne.]] |
| 510 | [[/folder]] |
| 511 | |
| 512 | [[folder:Joel Santana]] |
| 513 | A well-built, post-revolution enrollee hailing from a long line of soldiers. Joel is another of Rae's students sent to Nur as a political hostage. |
| 514 | ---- |
| 515 | * CommonNonsenseJury: [[spoiler:Joel's sentenced to deportation despite her acquittal on assault charges for being transgender.]] |
| 516 | * GenderBender: [[spoiler:Rae helps Joel transition by afflicting her with the crosswise curse.]] |
| 517 | * HeteronormativeCrusader: [[spoiler:Joel's deported by a judge who declares gender dysphoria sinful.]] |
| 518 | -->'''Judge:''' [[spoiler:“I understand your circumstances, but your body is a gift from God. To deny it is a sin, and I cannot allow a sinner to remain in the empire.”]] |
| 519 | * MilitaryBrat: Joel hails from a family of soldiers and carries a militaristic demeanor, with Rae noting her introduction was pointedly short and "almost mechanical." |
| 520 | * MilitaryMage: While much of the student body and faculty could be considered one, Joel is most clearly aligned as such in both demeanor and [[MilitaryBrat family history]]. |
| 521 | * PutOnABus: [[spoiler:She's deported to Bauer after transitioning, being mentioned among the many who write to Rae before the FinalBattle and [[TheBusCameBack returning]] in Act 2's WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue]] |
| 522 | * TransTribulations: The My Dear Student mini-arc is about Joel mustering the courage to [[spoiler:transition with the crosswise curse, avoiding a false conviction but getting [[PutOnABus deported]] to Bauer by a [[HeteronormativeCrusader transphobic judge]] in the process.]] |
| 523 | [[/folder]] |
| 524 | |
| 525 | [[folder:Lorek Kugret]] |
| 526 | The strait-laced commander of the [[AbsurdlyPowerfulStudentCouncil Academy Knights]] and brother to Claire's friend, Loretta. He conducts his duties with pride but has no issue deferring leadership when necessary. |
| 527 | ---- |
| 528 | * AbsurdlyPowerfulStudentCouncil: He leads one as commander of the Academy Knights. |
| 529 | * OfficerAndAGentleman: Lorek's well-mannered, stately air and military prowess make him an excellent fit as the Academy Knight's commander. |
| 530 | * StudentCouncilPresident: As commander of the Academy Knights, Lorek's effectively such. Though he does defer to Rod's military expertise in emergencies. |
| 531 | * WhatHappenedToTheMouse: He's completely absent after the Commoner's Movement arc, neither being PutOnABus or even receiving mention after the first volume. |
| 532 | * WholesomeCrossdresser: Lorek dresses as a maid for Cavalier, a cafe hosted by the Academy Knights for the Foundation Day Festival. |
| 533 | [[/folder]] |
| 534 | |
| 535 | [[folder:Torrid Magic]] |
| 536 | The world's sole tri-caster and spearhead of Bauer's magical research, whose efforts helped the kingdom maintain its status as a global superpower following the Magic Revolution. |
| 537 | ---- |
| 538 | * TheArchmage: While not the ''most'' powerful mage around, he's considered the apex of magical theory, his [[MagnumOpus Box of the Forbidden]] stumping the world's top researchers and requiring [[spoiler:Manaria or May]] to open. |
| 539 | * ArtifactOfDeath: Inside his Box of the Forbidden lies a [[spoiler:ring]] of similar nomenclature which causes incompatible users to [[spoiler:[[AxCrazy go berserk]], with Philine]] being the only one capable of using it safely. |
| 540 | * CoolTeacher: Torrid fights alongside his students in battle, takes an authoritative approach to teaching, and is generally well-liked among the student body. |
| 541 | * GoneHorriblyWrong: [[spoiler:Torrid lost his daughter in an experiment using the [[ArtifactOfDeath Ring of the Forbidden]] to combine their magic aptitudes, locking it away and fleeing to Bauer in guilt.]] |
| 542 | * LastDiscMagic: In the Summit arc, Torrid teaches Rae and Claire to [[spoiler:tandem cast, a powerful technique which combines and amplifies their magic aptitudes.]] |
| 543 | * TrainingTheGiftOfMagic: His role as instructor is to teach students how to apply theory their magic aptitudes. |
| 544 | [[/folder]] |
| 545 | |
| 546 | ! Bauer Kingdom |
| 547 | [[folder:Louie]] |
| 548 | Taylor's childhood friend from Eulcid who forms a brief love triangle with the capture targets in ''Revolution''. He lends his skills as an adventurer to aid the [[FlyingDutchman undead hunt.]] |
| 549 | ---- |
| 550 | * AnimateDead: [[spoiler:He secretly commands the [[FlyingDutchman ship]] invading Euclid, using a Nur artifact to raise the murdered aristocrats who once manned it.]] |
| 551 | * IncompatibleOrientation: His [[HopelessSuitor hopeless]] ChildhoodFriendRomance in ''Revolution'' is further cemented by Rae Taylor being a lesbian–one solely interested in Claire at that. |
| 552 | * LoveTriangle: He triggers a love triangle event with Taylor and her chosen capture target in ''Revolution'', which Rae suspects Claire is being slotted into. |
| 553 | * ThanatosGambit: [[spoiler:He [[SelfPoisoningGambit ingests cantarella]] after trapping Rae, Claire, and Misha in a secluded barrier in the hopes his undead form could overpower the trio.]] |
| 554 | * YourDaysAreNumbered: [[spoiler:Louie's forced into conspiring with Nur to afford a cure for his dying mother.]] |
| 555 | [[/folder]] |
| 556 | |
| 557 | [[folder:Riche Bauer]] |
| 558 | Current queen of the Bauer Kingdom and Yu's mother, Riche is a former cardinal with strong ties to the Spiritual Church. She uses her strong connections and sharp intellect to aid Yu's chances of ascending the throne. |
| 559 | ---- |
| 560 | * AbusiveParents: In the Yu's Secret arc, she's revealed to have [[spoiler:afflicted Yu with the [[GenderBender crosswise curse]] as a baby, forcing her daughter live with [[GenderBenderAngst gender dysphoria]] to ensure her right to succession.]] |
| 561 | * BureaucraticallyArrangedMarriage: Riche's marriage with l’Ausseil is one, the latter lamenting that she couldn't wed [[spoiler:Salas]] and praising Yu and Rae for choosing their own loves. |
| 562 | * DealWithTheDevil: [[spoiler:Seeking to make her daughter pope, Riche cuts a deal with Socrat to help assassinate Clarice in exchange for Yu's safety. Tragically, she sacrifices herself to save Yu from Socrat's explosion, presumably suffering the fate of [[CessationOfExistence anyone killed by demons.]]]] |
| 563 | * EvilMatriarch: Riche is ruthless in her efforts to bring about Yu's rise to power, conspiring in [[spoiler:Salas' schemes and twice attempting to kill Rae, even making a [[DealWithTheDevil deal with Socrat]] to assassinate the pope.]] |
| 564 | * GoodAllAlong: Downplayed as Riche's motives are revealed to be more altruistic in Act 2, willing to seize power for Yu's sake even her own peril. |
| 565 | -->'''Riche:''' [[spoiler:“I thought…if I couldn’t give you the throne…I could at least make you pope… But I failed… I’m sorry.”]] |
| 566 | * HiddenHeartOfGold: To Rae's surprise, Riche is welcoming, even if not fully understanding, of Yu's love for Misha and same-sex love in general. |
| 567 | * ParentsAsPeople: [[spoiler:She does legitimately love Yu, but she has it in her head that the only way she can properly demonstrate this love is by ensuring Yu's right to rule. It's given her a severe case of tunnel vision that has led her to harm her own daughter.]] |
| 568 | [[/folder]] |
| 569 | |
| 570 | [[folder:l’Ausseil Bauer]] |
| 571 | The reigning king of Bauer and father to the capture targets. He seeks to uplift commoners with his meritocratic policy, opening the Royal Academy to all and setting ''Revolution's'' original plot into motion. |
| 572 | ---- |
| 573 | * BattleOfWits: He quickly shuts down Rae's refusal to investigate corrupt aristocrats. |
| 574 | -->'''Rae:''' “My food’s already being poisoned. I have no wish to make more enemies.” |
| 575 | -->'''l’Ausseil:''' “Do not lie to me.” |
| 576 | -->'''Rae:''' “I’m not lying.” |
| 577 | -->'''l’Ausseil:''' “You seem perfectly healthy.” |
| 578 | -->'''Rae:''' “I counteracted the poison.” |
| 579 | -->'''l’Ausseil:''' “Then you have no real objection.” |
| 580 | * DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler:He's suddenly killed by falling debris caused by Mt. Sassal's early erruption, during a climatic battle to apprehend [[TrecherousAdvisor Salas]] and [[BrainwashedAndCrazy Lily]] Lilium.]] |
| 581 | * TheGoodKing: l’Ausseil is one of few aristocrats concerned with Bauer's rampant corruption and classism, enlisting Rae, [[spoiler:Claire, and Lily's]] help in his crackdown. |
| 582 | [[/folder]] |
| 583 | |
| 584 | [[folder:Salas Lilium]] |
| 585 | Prime Minister of Bauer and father to Lilly Lillium, who aids Riche in pushing Yu to the throne. His cunning and flagrant use of MindControl make him a looming threat throughout the story. |
| 586 | ---- |
| 587 | * AbusiveParents: [[spoiler:He conducts often fatal experiments on his children, Lilly and Lana, creating an AxCrazy alter-ego in the former and brainwashing both into his various schemes.]] |
| 588 | * ArchnemesisDad: Lilly [[spoiler:and Lana]] eventually join the heroes' efforts to stop Salas, becoming [[SpannerInTheWorks instrumental]] in ending his KarmaHoudiniWarranty. |
| 589 | * AristocratsAreEvil: He stands at the apex of Bauer's corrupt aristocracy, abusing his position to commit a litany of crimes and using lesser nobles as a patsy. |
| 590 | * BoxedCrook: His knowledge and political acumen is deemed too valuable by [[spoiler:the new government]] for the death penalty. Rae compares his fate to a certain [[Literature/TheSilenceOfTheLambs criminal psychologist's]]. |
| 591 | * EvilChancellor: Salas uses his position as Prime Minister to amass an ill-gotten fortune to finance his human experimentation and [[TheQuisling conspires with Nur]] in the hopes of usurping l’Ausseil. |
| 592 | * EvilCounterpart: To his former friend, Dole François. Both are the most influental non-royals in Bauer, the center of l’Ausseil's corruption crackdown, and [[spoiler:benefactors of the Commoner's Movement willing to sacrifice their daughters to depose the kingdom's aristocracy.]] |
| 593 | * EvilGenius: Salas is a brilliant yet morally bankrupt researcher who specialized in suggestion magic at the Royal Academy and discovered a method to [[spoiler:instill additional attributes]]—previously thought to be immutable, with an [[JekyllAndHyde unfortunate side effect]]. |
| 594 | * HypnoticEyes: He can cast powerful manipulation magic with his eyes, which [[spoiler:Manaria saves Rae from in Act 1's finale.]] |
| 595 | * HypnoTrinket: [[spoiler:Lana's headband is a tool Salas uses to brainwash her into his bidding.]] |
| 596 | * KarmaHoudiniWarranty: Salas commits a litany of crimes ranging from conspiring with foreign powers and conducting deadly experiments on orphans, to brainwashing innocents into murder—[[spoiler:his daughters]] being primary victims of said schemes. He's initially [[BoxedCrook spared execution]] but meets his end [[spoiler:in the FinalBattle when his attempt to brainwash May [[PsychologicalTormentZone triggers Dole's failsafe]].]] |
| 597 | * PsychologicalTormentZone: [[spoiler:The failsafe Dole places on May traps Salas in an endless nightmare where he's confronted by his countless victims.]] |
| 598 | * TheQuisling: He conspires with Nur in the hopes of becoming Bauer's next ruler once it becomes a vassal state for the empire—which is led by an empress with less than favorable opinions of Salas. |
| 599 | * TestedOnHumans: Salas tests his manipulation magic and [[spoiler:aptitude editing]] on countless orphans before using the techniques on [[spoiler:his daughters.]] |
| 600 | -->'''Rae:''' “You called her your masterpiece. Does that mean there are others?” |
| 601 | -->'''Salas:''' “Of course. What [[spoiler:parent]] would test an unverified process on their [[spoiler:own child?]] |
| 602 | * TheUnfought: Downplayed as Salas' tendency to use brainwashed victims as a proxy ensures his foes never have the opportunity to fight him directly. |
| 603 | [[/folder]] |
| 604 | |
| 605 | ! Nur Empire |
| 606 | [[folder:Philine Nur]] |
| 607 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/iftv_ln_philine.jpg]] |
| 608 | A milquetoast princess of the Nur Empire and protagonist of the in-universe spin-off, ''[[YuriGenre Revolution: Lily Side]]''. The heroes seek to manipulate her into a Revolution route, reforming the Empire's aggressive foreign policy. |
| 609 | ---- |
| 610 | * BlankSlate: Rae describes Philine as a husk which players can easily project themselves onto but [[TookALevelInBadass grows stronger]] as the story progresses, especially in her Revolution route. |
| 611 | * FeminineMotherTomboyishDaughter: Inverted, with Philine being a [[PrincessClassic considerably feminine princess]] and her mother, Dorothea, a tomboyish ActionMom. |
| 612 | * GoodPrincessEvilQueen: She acts as a foil to Dorothea, seeking to temper her aggressive foreign policy and reconcile with Nur's annexed nations. |
| 613 | * HopelessSuitor: She quickly develops unrequited feelings for Claire, brazenly declaring her intent to make them a mistress and reminding an unamused Rae of Nur's polygamy statute. [[spoiler:These feelings are later exploited to brainwash her into [[MurderTheHypotenuse attacking Rae]].]] |
| 614 | * MurderTheHypotenuse: [[spoiler:She attempts this against Rae while under suggestion magic, expressing genuine animosity towards her for 'taking Claire, Hilda, and even her mother away from her.']] |
| 615 | * PrincessClassic: Philine is a long-haired, beautiful princess who is both remarkably timid and adverse to violence yet has no issue standing up for her people, [[spoiler:even against Dorothea. She also becomes a MessanicArchetype, returning from exile and unifying the people into forcing Dorothea's abdication.]] |
| 616 | * TookALevelInBadass: She begins a meek, somewhat cowardly princess who eventually outdoes the notoriously manipulative Hilda and stands up to [[spoiler:Dorothea even under threat of execution, later forcing her to abdicate in the Summit arc.]] |
| 617 | [[/folder]] |
| 618 | |
| 619 | [[folder:Friedelinde Eimer]] |
| 620 | A sweet-talking royal and ''[[SpinOff Revo-Lily]]'' capture target from Melica, a religious nation annihilated by Nur. Frieda's animosity towards the empire and [[{{Yandere}} unhealthy approach to romance]] are major sticking points with Philine in her original route. |
| 621 | ---- |
| 622 | * TheAlliance: [[spoiler:She forms one with Philine and LaResistance members from Nur's other annexed nations, forcing Dorothea to abdicate on the condition Philine restores Melica to its former glory.]] |
| 623 | * AxCrazy: Frieda is shown to enter spontaneous fits of violence, coming inches short of [[spoiler:killing Philine after she name-drops the nation of Melica.]] |
| 624 | * GovernmentInExile: Once the [[spoiler:supreme leader and 'living god']] of Melica, she now leads her people's resistance against Nur alongside rebel groups from the similarly situated nations of Kiko and Dana. |
| 625 | * HandsomeLech: Frieda is a romantic sweet talker with, as Rae puts, "nothing but girls on her brain". Her eccentric behavior and [[{{Yandere}} obsessive personality]] are a major hinderance to her romantic prospects. |
| 626 | * {{Irony}}: She criticizes Rae for being clingy following her complains about Freida patting Claire's shoulder, despite being an AxCrazy {{Yandere}} herself. |
| 627 | -->'''Freida:''' “Being too clingy is no good, you know?” |
| 628 | -->'''Rae:''' ''You’re the last person I want to hear that from, Yandere Stalkersdottir!'' |
| 629 | * {{Yandere}}: Frieda's [[AxCrazy ax-craziness]] is coupled with warped attachment issues, with Rae noting her route was "infamously scary" and laden with game-over sequences. |
| 630 | [[/folder]] |
| 631 | |
| 632 | [[folder:Hildegard Eichrodt]] |
| 633 | Hilda is a cunning, opportunistic government worker with strong ties to Nur's Department of Magic Technology, and a capture target in ''[[SpinOff Revo-Lily]]''. In the story proper however, she seems far more interested in what Rae can offer. |
| 634 | ---- |
| 635 | * BeneathTheMask: Hilda's calculating ambition hides her animosity at the widening gap between the weak and powerful, [[spoiler:needing to be talked out of donning the [[ArtifactOfDeath Ring of Forbidden]] out of frustration at [[TheChosenOne Philine]] being the only one capable of using it safely.]] |
| 636 | * BitchInSheepsClothing: She inserts herself as a friend Philine can lean on, ironically warning her to be wary of Rae and Claire's attempts to exploit her... only to snub Philine the moment she believes Rae would better serve her ambitions. |
| 637 | -->'''Hilda:''' “The princess’s stock has dropped of late. I believe you will prove far more useful to me.” |
| 638 | * HonestAdvisor: She becomes one after [[spoiler:being knighted by Philine, agreeing to balance out her idealism in their pursuit to reform Nur.]] |
| 639 | * RoyalFavorite: While her exact role in the empire is ambigious, Hilda appears to enjoy a great deal of trust from Dorothea, being the first she seeks intel from in emergencies like [[spoiler:Socrat's assassination attempt on the pope.]] At times, she even acts as a second-in-command to her military forces. |
| 640 | * SharpDressedMan: Hilda maintains a sharp appearance complimented by a monocle, which both Rae and Philine note are a rarity among women. |
| 641 | [[/folder]] |
| 642 | |
| 643 | [[folder:Dorothea Nur]] |
| 644 | [[quoteright:270:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/iftv_ln_dorothea.jpg]] |
| 645 | The rutheless empress of the Nur Empire, whose unparalleled swordplay earned her the title [[NicknamingTheEnemy "Sword God"]]. She makes no effort to hide her plans for world domination and is a major antagonistic force in the latter half of the story. |
| 646 | ---- |
| 647 | * AmbiguouslyBi: While Dorothea is a capture target in the in-universe spin-off ''Revo-Lily'', her relationship with her kids' birth father remains unknown. |
| 648 | * AntiMagic: Her colorless disposition lets her [[NoSell no-sell]] any magic spell, a blessing and a curse as this also applies to healing magic. |
| 649 | * MasterSwordsman: Where the "Sword God" moniker originates. She's powerful enough to kill entire armies singlehandedly and effortlessly defeats [[spoiler:Socrat, a Great Archdemon.]] Manaria and [[spoiler:the twins]] are the only humans with any realistic chance of defeating her. |
| 650 | * VillainWithGoodPublicity: Her egoism and attempts at global domination do little to sour the average Nur citizen's opinion of her, being so popular the heroes accuse her of brainwashing. |
| 651 | * WhamLine: She delivers one when asked what could scare ''Dorothea Nur'' of all people into [[spoiler:using global conquest as the pretext for a GenghisGambit.]] |
| 652 | ->'''Dorothea:''' ''"It was on that very front line that I…I met her."'' |
| 653 | ->'''Rae:''' ''"Who?"'' |
| 654 | ->'''Dorothea:''' [[spoiler:''"The ruler of the demons—the Demon Queen."'']] |
| 655 | [[/folder]] |
| 656 | |
| 657 | ! The Spiritual Church |
| 658 | [[folder:Lilly Lilium]] |
| 659 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/iftv_ln_lilly.jpg]] |
| 660 | -> '''Voiced by''': Creator/ManakaIwami (Japanese), Creator/JillHarris (English) as Lily; [[spoiler: Junta Terashima (Japanese, as Alter), Creator/DallasReid (English, as Alter)]] |
| 661 | A meek, yet pious cardinal of the Spiritual Church and daughter of Prime Minister Salas Lilium. She quickly falls for Rae Taylor, becoming an invaluable ally to the heroes. |
| 662 | ---- |
| 663 | * AlliterativeName: Both ''Lilly'' and ''Lillium'' share vowel sounds. |
| 664 | * AntiMagic: Though not as powerful as Spellbreaker or colorless dispositions, Lilly's [[TimeRewindMechanic time manipulation]] magic lets her 'rewind' most spells to their inert state. |
| 665 | * TheAtoner: [[spoiler:Lilly enters a self-imposed exile to repent for her crimes committed under Salas' brainwashing.]] |
| 666 | * BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: The root of her attraction to Rae is the fact Rae spoke on behalf of homosexuality - and at heart, that there was nothing wrong with Lilly being a lesbian - to a homophobic pair of nuns without even knowing Lilly was nearby. Seeing [[WhatYouAreInTheDark what Rae was in the dark]] leaves Lilly instantly smitten with her. |
| 667 | * BrainwashedAndCrazy: [[spoiler:Her father's magic experiments created "Alter", an AxCrazy personality forced into various schemes on Salas and Nur's behalf.]] |
| 668 | * ClosetKey: Seeing Rae admonish the [[HeteronormativeCrusader homophobic nuns]] gossiping about the cardinal both affirmed her homosexuality, and instilled feelings for Rae. |
| 669 | * DualWielding: Lily uses a pair of short swords, augmenting her technique with time manipulation and at one point, [[SliceAndDiceSwordsmanship quadrisects]] her foe. |
| 670 | * HopelessSuitor: Rae's devotion to Claire does nothing to hamper her pursuit even after [[spoiler:the couple marries.]] |
| 671 | * IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: [[spoiler:Rae eventually frees Lilly from her father's mind control by reminding the cardinal of her true identity, and feelings for Rae.]] |
| 672 | * MakingASplash: She supplements her powerful wind magic with [[HealItWithWater water-based healing magic]]. |
| 673 | * MrExposition: She's the go-to character to confer information regarding the Spiritual Church. |
| 674 | * NunTooHoly: Lily's involuntarily foul mouth is exacerbated by her open pursuit of Rae, [[spoiler:a married woman,]] going as far as sending a letter asking to become her mistress alongside [[spoiler:her wedding gift.]] |
| 675 | -->'''Lilly:''' ''P. S. Is the mistress spot still open?'' |
| 676 | * ThirdPersonPerson: Lilly refers to Lilly in this manner. |
| 677 | * TimeMaster: Lily uses her extreme wind aptitude to manipulate time, allowing her to repair broken artifacts, refill used potions, and even [[TimeRewindMechanic negate spells]]. |
| 678 | * WetwareBody: [[spoiler:Lilly's often possessed by [[NamesGivenToComputers TAIM]] whenever the AI prefers a physical host to communicate.]] |
| 679 | [[/folder]] |
| 680 | |
| 681 | [[folder:Elie]] |
| 682 | A nun who grows to accept their homosexuality thanks to advice Lilly offers in her self-imposed exile. As a lost child of the spirits, she bears an identical appearance to Rae Taylor. |
| 683 | ---- |
| 684 | * BackForTheFinale: Initially appearing solely in a bonus chapter, Elie returns to help [[spoiler:her fellow clones save Claire from TAIM's LotusEaterMachine.]] |
| 685 | * CloningGambit: [[spoiler:She and other lost children of the spirits are part of TAIM's plan to stop the BigBad.]] |
| 686 | * ClosetKey: Elie's feelings towards Marie led her to realize she's homosexual. |
| 687 | * MorallySuperiorCopy: [[spoiler:To the Demon Queen, who seeks to end humanity's EternalRecurrence.]] |
| 688 | * NunTooHoly: She feels guilt over being attracted to Marie, her foster sister and fellow nun. |
| 689 | [[/folder]] |
| 690 | |
| 691 | [[folder:Clarice Répète III]] |
| 692 | [[quoteright:270:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/iftv_ln_pope.jpg]] |
| 693 | Pope of the Spiritual Church and a lost child of the spirits with mysteriously identical appearance to Rae Taylor. She's an invaluable ally in the heroes' efforts against the demons. |
| 694 | ---- |
| 695 | * CloneAngst: [[spoiler:Clarice admits to resenting TAIM for referring to her as Rae's byproduct.]] |
| 696 | * CloningGambit: [[spoiler:She, Elie, and Rae were created as the BigBad's replacements to keep them from ending humanity's EternalRecurrence.]] |
| 697 | * ElementalPersonalities: Clarice's light magic compliments her saintly persona and position as [[HighPriest pope]]. |
| 698 | * EmotionlessGirl: Clarice is a remarkably stoic individual, owing to her sheltered upbringing and seldom public appearances. |
| 699 | * GreaterScopeParagon: She heads the world's efforts against the demons and arranges peace talks with Dorothea to stem the empire's aggressive foreign policy. |
| 700 | * HighPriest: Clarice's role as pope of the Spiritual Church, answering directly to the Apostle. |
| 701 | * LightEmUp: She uses light magic with strong healing and anti-demon abilities, albeit with considerable wind-up. It's unclear if she's capable of using other attributes, however. |
| 702 | * WhenSheSmiles: Claire and Julia, a child from a Nur convent, compliment the pope's smile as she returns from playing with children–neither of which she'd experienced prior. |
| 703 | -->'''Julia:''' “Your Holiness, do you know what face you’re making right now?” |
| 704 | -->'''Clarice:''' “I do not, but I imagine it is the same as always.” |
| 705 | -->'''Julia:''' “He he… You’re smiling.” |
| 706 | -->'''Clarice:''' “Oh…!” I touched my face. The corners of my eyes had lowered, and the sides of my mouth had risen together with my cheeks. So this was what it was to smile. |
| 707 | * WrongContextMagic: Her light magic defies traditional conventions, with ''Rae'' of all people being surprised to see an area-of-effect healing spell. |
| 708 | [[/folder]] |
| 709 | |
| 710 | [[folder:The Apostle (WARNING: Unmarked Spoilers!!)]] |
| 711 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/iftv_ln_apostle.jpg]] |
| 712 | TAIM, a powerful AI created by the original Claire in her efforts to save humanity from [[NatureIsNotAToy environmental destruction]]. Her plan to stop the original Rei Ohashi from ending the [[EternalRecurrence Eternal Loop System]] sets the overarching plot into motion. |
| 713 | ---- |
| 714 | * ZeroPercentApprovalRating: Despite being humanity's only hope against the Demon Queen, ''nobody'' who interacts with TAIM has a favorable opinion of the AI, owing to her lack of tact and needless cruelty. |
| 715 | * AIIsACrapshoot: TAIM goes from helping save humanity and the Loop System to commandeering it and placing humanity into a LotusEaterMachine. |
| 716 | * BonusDungeon: Her LotusEaterMachine effectively becomes this, forcing Rae, Clarice, Elie, and Lily to team up with the [[EleventhHourRanger Demon Queen]] to save Claire and regain control over the Loop System. |
| 717 | * CloningGambit: The lost children of the spirits: Rae, Clarice, and Elie were created by TAIM as replacements for the ''real'' [[BigBad Rei Ohashi]]. |
| 718 | * CrystalDragonJesus: {{Zigzagged}}. She's worshipped by the followers of the Spiritual Church as its own God, but some high-ranking members of the Church themselves are well-aware of TAIM's true nature as a futuristic ArtificialIntelligence. The fact that she's on a church's server room, of all places, also serves the TomatoSurprise twist that the high-ranking members of the Church have knowledge of advanced technology. |
| 719 | * FatalFlaw: TAIM's arrogance and lack of empathy dooms her ploy to commandeer the Loop System, unable to consider the chances a woman whose feelings had lasted [[LoveTranscendsSpacetime nearly an eon]] might resist FakeMemories of her beloved. |
| 720 | * HeelFaceTurn: After losing to Rae and Claire's [[LastDiscMagic tandem casting]], she takes Claire's words about being a friend of humanity to heart, agreeing to undo the [[LotusEaterMachine damage]] she caused and aid humanity once more. |
| 721 | * {{Irony}}: |
| 722 | ** The Spiritual Church opposes same-sex marriage despite TAIM, the being its followers worship as the Apostle or “Great Spirit”, being queer herself. |
| 723 | ** The LastDiscMagic she bestows Rae and Claire for the FinalBattle is only used against her. |
| 724 | * LastDiscMagic: She orders Torrid to teach Rae and Claire tandem casting before their FinalBattle with the Demon Queen. Ironically, the technique goes unused in that fight but is instrumental in defeating TAIM once Claire is freed from her LotusEaterMachine. |
| 725 | * LotusEaterMachine: She places Claire and subsequently, all of humanity, in one to prevent her from inheriting the Demon Queen's admin privileges, believing humanity cannot be trusted to govern the Loop System. |
| 726 | * NamesGivenToComputers: Though far predating the Loop System, TAIM's name, "Tame" is a descriptor of her duty as its overseer: ensure humanity "loops" through alternating 'magic-based' and 'science-based' periods. |
| 727 | * RetGone: TAIM erases everyone's knowledge of Claire's existence and uses Lily as a ReplacementGoldfish for Rae—whose love for Claire was already proven to [[LoveTranscendsSpacetime transcend lifetimes.]] |
| 728 | [[/folder]] |
| 729 | |
| 730 | ! The Demons (WARNING: Unmarked Spoilers Below!!) |
| 731 | [[folder:Three Great Archdemons]] |
| 732 | As the second-highest ranking demons, Aristo, Plato, and Socrat are CoDragons tasked with destroying Claire's soul. Their [[SuperToughness unparalleled durability]] and erasive dark magic make the trio a dangerous force in the story's latter half. |
| 733 | ---- |
| 734 | * AffablyEvil: Aristo and Socrat are particularly well-mannered, both in speech and demeanor, and in the latter's case, their [[NobleDemon adherence to a code of honor]]. |
| 735 | * BadPowersBadPeople: Dark magic's erasive properties are a convenient tool when tasked with ending humanity. |
| 736 | * BlackMagic: Each are highly proficient in dark magic, a powerful demon-exclusive attribute which erases ''anything'' on contact. |
| 737 | * CardCarryingVillain: They relish in the destruction they cause, gleefully vaporizing buildings and killing scores of people, and make no effort to hide their excitement at the prospect of killing the heroes, or humanity itself. |
| 738 | * CessationOfExistence: With the authority to override the soul quantization process, anyone kiled by them is lost forever. As the Demon Queen refuses to KillTheOnesYouLove, she utilizes this in her ploy to remove Claire from the Loop System. |
| 739 | * CoDragons: As the "Great Archdemon" title implies, they act directly under the Demon Queen's orders. They also rarely interact directly and are implied to have a rivalry of sorts, with Plato chiding Aristo for toying with the heroes, and Socrat admitting Plato is the most loyal of the three. |
| 740 | * FromASingleCell: Socrat's cells can temporarily disintegrate into magic and reform whole, making him impossible to kill without dissipating them faster than Socrat can regenerate. |
| 741 | * HavingABlast: Socrat self-destructs in a last-ditch attempt to kill the heroes, vaporizing the entire meeting hall and killing Riche. |
| 742 | * NighInvulnerability: Socrat's extreme [[SuperToughness durability]] and [[FromASingleCell regeneration]] renders him impossible to kill outright without the twins and The Focalizer. |
| 743 | * NobleDemon: During his assassination attempt on the pope, Socrat agrees to spare anyone who doesn't interfere. He also spares Yu to uphold his agreement with Riche. |
| 744 | * NoSell: Plato's SuperToughness and Socrat's NighInvulnerability cause most attacks to bounce off their bodies, with even Rod's LegendaryWeapon doing little to harm Socrat. |
| 745 | -->'''Rod:''' “Daaamn, you’re tough. This sword’s been passed down in my kingdom for generations, you know?" |
| 746 | -->'''Socrat:''' “If you wish to cut me, prepare a sword as powerful as that empress’s—and the skill to match." |
| 747 | * ThemeNaming: All of the Archdemons are named after famous Greek philosophers; Aristo is named after [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle Aristotle]], Plato is named after [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato Plato]], and Socrat is named after [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socrates Socrates]]. |
| 748 | [[/folder]] |
| 749 | |
| 750 | [[folder:The Demon Queen]] |
| 751 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/iftv_ln_dq.jpg]] |
| 752 | The original Rei Ohashi, a brilliant scientist who co-created the [[EternalRecurrence Eternal Loop System]] alongside the original Claire and Lene. She seeks to bring an end to it, and consequently, humanity, once Claire's soul is removed. |
| 753 | ---- |
| 754 | * BigBad: She's the story's final antagonist, using her powerful magic and control over demons and the Loop System to wreak havoc in her bid to destroy Claire's soul. |
| 755 | * CerebusCallBack: Her motives are a direct contradiction to Rae's FinaleTitleDrop, seeking to end humanity before her love for Claire fades entirely. |
| 756 | -->'''Rae:''' "Time passes. Hearts change. No one knows the future, and yet—I was certain that my love for Claire would last forever. Now and for all eternity, I choose the villainess." |
| 757 | * IfIWantedYouDead: She decimates a young Dorothea's expeditionary forces, informing her she alone is being spared because her death would too greatly alter the course of history. |
| 758 | * MorallySuperiorCopy: Her clones: Rae, Clarice, and Elie were created by TAIM as replacements to stop her from ending humanity. |
| 759 | * ReincarnationRomance: She created the Loop System to make her love for Claire eternal, spending nearly an eon reincarnating at her side. Their feelings for one another begin to fade, setting the overarching plot into motion. |
| 760 | * SadisticChoice: With her Archdemons defeated and refusal to KillTheOnesYouLove, she issues Claire an ultimatum: take your own life, or watch your loved ones be slain before you. |
| 761 | * ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: Her strategy entails using [[AppealToForce absurd shows of force]] to scare enemies into compliance. |
| 762 | ** In her invasion of Ruhm, she casually vaporizes a distant mountain to demonstrate how little a chance the heroes have in defeating her. |
| 763 | ** She unveils herself to the world by flash-freezing Mt. Sassal, a 12,000ft volcano, from hundreds of miles away during a telepathic broadcast threatening to destroy an entire country if Claire isn't brought to her. |
| 764 | * TimeAbyss: Considering how many times the world gets looped countless times for ''millions of years'' under her eye as the System's admin, the Demon Queen herself doesn't even remember her own past as Rei, except when it principally focuses on Claire. |
| 765 | * WalkingSpoiler: It's impossible to discuss the Demon Queen without revealing the fact that she's the original Rei Ohashi and the real mastermind of the Eternal Loop System. |
| 766 | * WasOnceAHuman: She started off as a human scientist in the late 21st-Century, being the one of the three people who spearheaded the Eternal Loop System initiative before becoming the Demon Queen who lived off for eons via the Loop System. |
| 767 | * WhichMe: After the final battle, Rae lampshades the confusing lack of distinction when Claire addresses the Demon Queen. |
| 768 | -->'''Claire:''' "Now, now, Rae. Let’s not bully Rae too much, okay?” |
| 769 | -->'''Rae:''' “That’s so confusing, just call that one Demon Queen!” |
| 770 | * WouldNotShootACivilian: |
| 771 | ** Implied during her invasion of Nur's capital, Ruhm, with Rae noting the fleeing citizenry went mostly unharmed, despite the Demon Queen vaporizing mountains just moments ago. |
| 772 | ** She refuses to attack an unconscious Rod, May, and Aleah during the FinalBattle, even when Rae points out their value as hostages. |
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