Line #115 Literature/Sapphire


1	%% Zero Context Example entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them. See this thread (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13226024250A77804400&page=5#119) for more information
2
3
4	''Sapphire'' is a series of {{Web Serial Novel}}s written by [=SpyHunter89=] on his Website/DeviantArt page. [[http://spyhunter89.deviantart.com/gallery/#Sapphire-Chapters The chapters may be viewed here.]] The first episode was released in 2007, with the second carrying over into 2008. The third episode began in 2009, and is currently ongoing.
5
6	''Sapphire'' is essentially SpyFiction; the stories are set during the UsefulNotes/ColdWar; more specifically, [[TheSeventies the late 1970s]] and [[TheEighties 80s]]. But instead of regular Russians, the antagonists (and some of the minor protagonists) have PsychicPowers.
7	----
8	!!This series provides examples of:
9
10	%%* ActionGirl: Michiru.
11	* AffablyEvil: Boris would prefer to show someone a magic trick [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim before killing him or her]].
12	* AllThereInTheManual: Many, many characters have been introduced through the author's Website/DeviantArt page that have not had even a remote chance to show up in the story yet.
13	%%* {{Animesque}}: The character artwork is done this way by [=SpyHunter=], an American.
14	* ArabianNightsDays: The Altair base evokes this trope. However, although it is based in Iran (as was the real Literature/ArabianNights, bonus!), the base is under control of the Soviet Union and a RenegadeRussian third party...
15	%%* AuthorAppeal: How else do you explain the contortion scenes in Episode III?
16	%%** Or the Psychics. Or the spies. Or almost everything about it. But isn't that the point?
17	* BigDamnHeroes: Andrew, who saves [[spoiler:Alec]] from [[spoiler:Boris's firing squad]] in Episode III.
18	* BodySnatcher: Ivanka takes posession of Khina's body to save Alec. [[spoiler:It works, but she is discovered because Khina was two months pregnant.]]
19	* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Boris takes over Khina's mind from afar to have her assassinate Elodie. [[spoiler:She fails.]]
20	* BrotherSisterTeam: Subverted - Ivanka is working against her brother Boris.
21	* CallingYourAttacks:
22	** Psychics do this sometimes, often in their native language. For example, the call for Boris's Blood Rose attack is "''Krov' roza''", [[BilingualBonus which in fact is Russian for]] [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin its own name]].
23	** Michiru and Daisuke [[GratuitousJapanese call out their Ninjutsu attacks in Japanese,]] ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''-style.
24	%%* CampGay: Nikolai and Claude, although they're only bisexual.
25	* CartwrightCurse: Somewhat. [[spoiler:Ivanka gets killed, but only five years after she marries Alec, which in turn was four years since they first met.]]
26	* CatchPhrase: Boris has "Comrade Alec", and Artemis Gilliam has "Seriously!".
27	* TheCharmer: Alec refuses to fall for more than one woman at a time - even if the woman in question [[spoiler:has been kidnapped for three years]].
28	%%* ChineseGirl: Lucia and Lumina Liang.
29	%%* CircusBrat: Elodie, Nikolai, and Claude, who contrasts with [[MilitaryBrat Jake]].
30	* CloakAndDagger: The Delta Defense Alliance and Omega Order are both fictional organizations not officially aligned with any real-world government.
31	%%* UsefulNotes/ColdWar: Specifically, the later period.
32	%%* DamselInDistress: Ivanka.
33	%%* DepravedBisexual: Marriage means nothing to [[spoiler:Boris]].
34	* DirtyCommunists: Mostly averted. All the Russians/North Koreans/miscellaneous Communists in the story are either good and/or being played by the bad guys (a RenegadeRussian third power).
35	* DisneyDeath: [[spoiler:DoubleSubversion. Boris gets pinned down by a truck and riddled with a full clip of AK bullets. Yet being a Psychic, he survived the whole thing.]]
36	* TheEighties: Episodes II and III take place mainly in 1982 and 1989, respectively.
37	%%* EveryoneLooksSexierIfFrench: Elodie.
38	* EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench: {{Lampshade\|Hanging}}d.
39	--> '''Alec:''' Why is it that whenever you talk in French, it sounds cuter?
40	--> '''Elodie:''' Well, I know they say French is the language of love...
41	--> '''Alec:''' ...Then I guess they were right.
42	%%* FalseFlagOperation: Boris's evil plans in Episodes I (USA vs. USSR) and II (Japan vs. North Korea).
43	* {{Fanservice}}: Michiru wears a bandage bra which she cuts open with a {{Ninja}} knife at one point. [[LampshadeHanging Alec even jokes about how she is able to buy her lingere from the first-aid department.]]
44	%%* FauxActionGirl: Ivanka.
45	* FuroScene: Between [[spoiler:Alec and Ivanka]] on their honeymoon. They try to get close to each other during their bath together, but [[spoiler:Ivanka]] is reminded of a time when she was raped, and suffers a HeroicBSOD before running out crying.
46	* GenderBlenderName: Not only does Claude sound rather feminine in English, it is a gender-neutral name in his native French.
47	%%* GirlOfTheWeek: Ivanka, Michiru, and Elodie.
48	*** [[spoiler:Although, Alec and Michiru eventually try to make love, but are rudely interrupted by Daisuke.]]
49	* GogglesDoSomethingUnusual: Michiru and Daisuke use Psychic-scanning AuraVision binoculars.
50	* GoodSmokingEvilSmoking: {{Subverted\|Trope}}: Elodie uses a cigarette holder, not because she's [[TheBaroness an evil Baroness]], but because she's rich and glamorous. That still doesn't stop Alec from trying to make her quit.
51	* GratuitousForeignLanguage: Not only are Russian, [[GratuitousJapanese Japanese]] and [[GratuitousFrench French]] [[PoirotSpeak stock phrases used]], but the Psychics [[CallingYourAttacks call their attacks]] in their native language.
52	%%* HandsomeLech: Gabriel Garnett and Claude Duchamp. Or perhaps Claude falls more into ChivalrousPervert territory.
53	%%* HaremNanny: Khina fulfills this role (in a literal harem, no less) by helping Ivanka with her problems.
54	* HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler:Alec, after Boris kills Ivanka. He even tries to shoot himself, but backs down before pulling the trigger.]]
55	** [[spoiler:And again, when he sees Boris alive. The delay keep him from killing Boris [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim when he decides to just shoot him]]... not that it would do any good against a Psychic.]]
56	* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Ivanka]] offers to be executed in [[spoiler:Alec]]'s stead. [[spoiler:A SenselessSacrifice is narrowly avoided.]]
57	* HighlyVisibleNinja: Aika Akagi has a shiny red SpyCatsuit and green hair.
58	%%* [[IdenticalGrandson Identical Son]]: Alec and Jake were so similar at first, but this was changed when Jake was given a little beard.
59	* IntercontinuityCrossover: [=SpyHunter's=] crossover fanfics with ''WesternAnimation/TotallySpies''. Contains copious amounts of TakeThat.
60	%%* KatanasAreJustBetter: Especially when it's the detonator for a bunch of exploding throwing stars.
61	%%* KaraokeBox
62	* MagicAIsMagicA: The details of Psychic magic have yet to be explained.
63	%%* MarshmallowHell: Happens to Alec by Khina in the Episode I Bonus chapter.
64	%%* MilitaryBrat: Jake, a little bit. Contrasts with {{C\|ircusBrat}}laude.
65	%%* {{Ninja}}: See Episode II. In particular, Michiru Murasaki and Daisuke Midori.
66	* NoBisexuals: Averted. Boris and Nikolai were both gay for each other, despite finding girlfriends later on down the line (Boris & Khina, and Nikolai & Elodie). In fact, the only fully gay character in Sapphire is Claude's coach/boyfriend, Valko Petkov.
67	* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Artemis Gilliam is an {{Expy}} of [[Series/AmericanIdol Simon Cowell]]. He even judges a karaoke contest at one point.
68	* NoOneCouldSurviveThat: [[spoiler:Boris being pinned down by a truck and riddled with a full clip of AK bullets. Yet being a Psychic, he survived the whole thing.]]
69	* NotDistractedByTheSexy: Alec refuses to fall for Michiru. [[spoiler:Although, they eventually try to make love, but are rudely interrupted by Daisuke.]]
70	* PaperThinDisguise: How in the world could Elodie not tell that was Nikolai behind that ''eye-mask''!?
71	%%* PowerCrystal: On nearly everything Morgana wears. Even on her [[{{Stripperiffic}} more-Stripperiffic-than-usual bikini]].
72	* PsychicPowers: Many of the villains - and some of the allies - are Psychics, and demonstrate all manner of powers.
73	** Even [[{{Ninja}} ninjas]] are Psychics, in a sense. Alec makes the connection that "''ninjutsu'' is probably some variation on the whole psychic philosophy".
74	%%* RapeAsBackstory: What happens to [[spoiler:Ivanka while she was kidnapped during Episode II]].
75	* RecycledInSpace:
76	** It's ''Film/JamesBond''... with [[PsychicPowers Psychics]].
77	** The plot for Episode II also draws many comparisons to Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice.
78	* RenegadeRussian: Boris Rubanenko. Officially, he pledges allegiance to the Soviet Union. [[spoiler:However, in Episode I he plans to nuke the West AND East indiscriminately, so that both sides will be weak enough for a Psychic takeover]]. Not to mention [[spoiler:trying to start ''another'' war between North Korea and Japan in Episode II,]] plus whatever he has up his sleeve for Episode III...
79	* RingOfFire: Daisuke creates a green ring of fire during his duel with Michiru. [[spoiler:She defeats him by ''[[ScrewTheRulesIHavePlot teleporting out of the ring]]'', [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome then leaps back into it and skewers him]].]]
80	* SenselessSacrifice: Almost happened. Even after [[spoiler:Boris]] killed [[spoiler:Ivanka]] after promising Alec would be spared, [[spoiler:he proceeds to kill Alec as well. He is saved, however, when his friend Andrew pulls a little DeusExMachina.]]
81	** [[spoiler:Turns out it ''was'' senseless after all. You can imagine Alec's surprise when he saw Boris alive two years later.]]
82	* ShamelessSelfPromotion: [[Tropers/SpyHunter29 the author himself started this page]].
83	%%* SpyFiction: Martini, more so in Episode III than the first two. [[PsychicPowers With eye of newt.]]
84	* SomethingAboutARose: Boris's 'Blood Rose' attack. Which involves killing the victim ''by teleporting it into his/her heart''.
85	%%* TheBaroness: Khina and (more so) Morgana both fall into the Sexpot flavor of this trope.
86	* TheSeventies: Episode I takes place mainly in 1978.
87	* TheUnpronounceable: Alec has trouble pronouncing Khina's name in the Episode I bonus chapter, since the glottal 'kh' sound does not occur in (American) English.
88	%%* UnholyMatrimony: Boris married Khina during the events of Episode II.
89	* UnwantedHarem: It's not ''his'' harem, but Alec refuses to fall for the advances of Khina and the other girls.
90	* WhyDontYaJustShootHim: Averted by Alec. After their first few encounters, his way of greeting Boris involves shooting him in the head. [[spoiler:It never works. It even gets lampshaded: "You should have learned by now, that will never work on me... Comrade Alec." "Always worth a try."]]
91	** The same cannot be said of Boris, [[AffablyEvil who would prefer to show someone a magic trick before killing him or her]].

Context Literature / Sapphire