List of character-specific tropes for the webcomic Peritale.
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Main Characters
Periwinkle
Comic protagonist Periwinkle is a fairy born without magic who is determined to become a fairy godmother.
- Action Girl: When her written exam score is insufficient for a passing grade, she has to get creative to earn that last bonus point. It probably helps that she needed to keep physically fit to climb everwhere, since the fairy realm had no stairs due to everyone having wings.
- Boyish Short Hair: Peri has the shortest hair of her siblings and is the most physically active, and tends to wear shorts and pants while her sisters wear dresses and skirts.
- Can't Take Criticism: Her reaction is less angry than Hydrangea's, but Periwinkle also seems somewhat baffled and even offended that humans might not like fairies meddling in their affairs.
- Disability Immunity: Periwinkle is immune to the spell Vallery uses to keep people away from her tower because it works by repelling the amount of magic inherent in even ordinary people, and Peri has no magic whatsoever.
- Fish out of Water: It's Periwinkle's first time on Earth, and she is not well-prepared, as no one ever expected her to pass the test to become a fairy godmother. Add that to her pro-fairy bias (and total ignorance that anyone thinks otherwise), and inability to use magic, and she's flailing a bit. She keeps at it though!
- Genki Girl: Full of energy and a
Word of God described "can-do attitude", nothing fazes Periwinkle for long. No matter the outcome, she has the best of intentions and always looks on the bright side of things. - Fantastic Racism: Shows some of this towards humans, in a paternalistic, "we know best" kind of way.
- Line-of-Sight Name: When she bumps into Vallery in disguise at the ball.
- Loophole Abuse: Periwinkle figures out that if she can score a perfect grade on the written exam, she can become a fairy godmother without any actual magic. She falls just short of the mark due to a misplaced comma, but manages to squeeze in one point of extra credit for a 50.3 final grade.
- Massive Numbered Siblings: Peri is the sixth of seven siblings.
- Matchmaker Crush: She seems to start developing one towards Vallery, although she takes a while to realize that's what it is.
- In addition, since she believes Vallery is destined to be with the Prince and that she needs to become a proper fairy godmother, she doesn't think a relationship would be possible.
- Missing Mom: It doesn't seem like Periwinkle's mom is... there all much. Nor does she expect much from Periwinkle, either.
- Muggle Born of Mages: Periwinkle is from a family of strong magic users, and is a fairy, a being of magic, besides. She has not even a drop of it, despite Vallery believing that even among humans everyone has at least some magic, with the barrier around her tower using that to repel people. It certainly doesn't help that her family includes some of the most powerful fairies in the realm, including its ruler.
- Mundane Object Amazement: Periwinkle frequently experiences this in the human world for things the fairy realm doesn't, even stairs (but then, growing up in a world constructed for beings who can fly, without being able to fly herself, Periwinkle understandably is excited by the idea of stairs).
- No-Sell: Periwinkle is unaffected by a barrier that repels people based on their magic (because she has none).
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Her outfit to the masquerade ball doesn't fool Vallery at all.
- Plucky Girl: Despite being born with absolutely NO magic into a magic-dominated society, Periwinkle set her heart on becoming an honorable fairy godmother—a job that just about REQUIRES magical talent. Rather than becoming discouraged, she used her wits and indominable spirit to pass her exam and is now applying that industrious attitude towards completing her first fairytale.
- Positive Friend Influence: Is this for Vallery, in that she gets Vallery out of her shell some, convinces her to combat the local rumors, and pushes through Vallery's sometimes hostile behavior to befriend her.
- Pragmatic Hero: Since Peri has no magical abilities, she's forced to be this. She doesn't have the energy or ability to waste on theatrics or drama.
- There Was a Door: Being from a realm where everyone else can fly, she had to climb to get anywhere. Even after being introduced to the concept of "stairs", she once slid down a steep hill to get juice of Vallery rather than take the stairs.
- Wings Do Nothing: She has wings, but she can't fly with them due to her lack of magic. Oddly, she only has one set of wings while all other fairies seen have two, and there's a reference to fairies sacrificing their wings for power...
Vallery Allegro
Perwinkle's target: Her task is to make Vallery and the prince fall in love. If Peri succeeds, she can be a fairy godmother.
- The Archmage: Is an exceptionally talented mage, and implies to Periwinkle that she is capable of some rather magically-potent feats.
- Berserk Button: Anything that puts Vallery's books in harm's way will set her off.
- Bookworm: Majorly. Vallery's shut herself up in a tower by the sea with nothing but her books and cat for company, and insists she's quite happy this way.
- Broken Pedestal: Little Val appears to get this with Dagmar after overhearing the latter wish she had died with her parents.
- Child Prodigy: Taking Dagmar as an example of typical magical development, Vallery was exceptionally talented from a very young age, able to shock Vasquez with her skills at age 7. He decided not long after that she would grow to be the best choice to take over his position, which led to discord between her and the older Dagmar.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: She was pretty hostile to the idea of Periwinkle in her life and doesn't gel well with other people, but she's making an effort with Periwinkle's help, and seems to be warming up to the fairy's presence.
- Every Man Has His Price: She makes a deal to allow Peri to try and complete her fairytale in exchange for books from the fairy world.
- Foster Kid: It's not shown whether Vallery was ever formally adopted by Vasquez, but she was raised by him alongside Dagmar after her parents' deaths.
- Heartwarming Orphan: Her parents died at a young age, she has an incredible aptitude for magic, but as an adult has isolated herself and struggles to connect with people. Everyone is rooting for Vallery to get a happy ending.
- Loners Are Freaks: Averted. It's not yet clear why Vallery has chosen to self-isolate, but aside from being a bit cranky and temperamental, she's not socially deficient in any way.
- Matchmaker Crush: Inverted. While Periwinkle tries to hook Vallery up with the prince as part of the Fairytale, Vallery starts to develop a crush on her in the process.
- Refusal of the Call: It's hinted that at least part of the reason for her isolation was to avoid having to become the next Royal Magician.
- Shrinking Violet: Possibly due to social anxiety of some kind. Vallery (possibly traumatized by the loss of her parents) didn't speak at all when she was brought into the royal household, clearly wanted some kind of friendship from Dagmar (but was too shy to be forthright), and as an adult, lives as a hermit in a tower, having been there since she was ten. Periwinkle really has to persuade her to come down into town for a festival.
- Smart People Wear Glasses: Child Prodigy Val has worn glasses since she was a kid, and is a big nerd.
- Unknown Rival: Dagmar has always seen Vallery as a rival due to her magical talent and their father's favoritism toward her, an attitude that has carried on to present day. For her part, Val always looked up to Dagmar and is glad they became Royal Magician. She knows they didn't like her but she never felt the same way.
- Tall Poppy Syndrome: Dagmar has always resented Vallery for her talent with magic, and her skills have gotten her the nickname The Witch from the local populace. Now, Vallery does very little to combat this by living secluded in a tower on a cliff, but she also appears to have done little to earn it, besides being a talented magician.
Hydrangea
One of Perwinkle's older sisters. She's been missing for a while and no one seems to know what happened. One of the protagonists to the comic's B-plot.
- The Ace: Her magical abilities and general propriety mean she's held in high esteem among the fairies and is Periwinkle's idea of the perfect fairy godmother.
- Alpha Bitch: There are signs that Hydrangea is this, outside her motherly behavior towards Periwinkle, especially in her attitude towards humans.
- Asshole Victim: Both before and after being captured by Agatha in an anti-magic trap, Hydrangea goes on about how fairies are so much better and smarter than humans. It's hard not to feel she got her just desserts in being taken prisoner by one—her intended target, no less.
- Blue-and-Orange Morality: So what if a few people get killed or have their lives ruined over the course of a fairytale? It's destiny!
- Can't Take Criticism: Hydrangea is offended that Agatha has the gall to even suggest fairies are not acting selflessly.
- Damsel in Distress: Is missing as of the start of the main plot, and is shown being captured by a fairy-hating human in a throwback arc. She soon comes to an agreement with the human, however, so whatever's keeping her is something else.
- Fantastic Racism: Shows some of this towards humans, in a paternalistic, "we know best" kind of way.
- Girly Girl: Long fancy dresses, elaborate buns, and a prissy attitude? That's Hydrangea.
- Humble Pie: Despite her attitude typical of a fae creature, Agatha keeps outwitting her and ultimately captures her. Forcing her to make a deal with her for her freedom.
- Meanwhile, in the Future…: Hydrangea's B-plot takes place around the same time as the prologue, fourteen years before the main story.
- Readings Are Off the Scale: Magic is ranked on the character bios on a five-star system, but Hydrangea and Celeste are so powerful that they are simply rated as 5+.
Agatha Qing
A human that Hydrangea happens across while looking for her next human target. One of the protagonists to the comic's B-plot.
- Actually, I Am Him: Hydrangea's jaunt into the human world brings her to an enigmatic (and flirtatious) woman fishing in the woods, whom she asks to help locate her actual target, a lady by the name of Agatha Qing. Naturally, once they reach the village, it turns out that the woman is Ms. Qing, and was leading her along for her own amusement, and to give herself time to lure Hydrangea into an anti-magic trap.
- Brawn Hilda: Agatha is huge, especially compared to Hydrangea.
- …But He Sounds Handsome: Before her name is revealed, "Fisherwoman" is all too happy to gush about Miss Agatha Qing.
- Genre Savvy: How many humans have gotten themselves up a creek by giving out their names to magical folks? Agatha is wise enough not to betray her real name to Hydrangea, until she has her trapped. She's also smart enough not to reveal her anti-fairy feelings.
- Magic Knight: Has some skill with magic, fairly muscular, and her fairytale is apparently centered around her becoming a legendary warrior.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: Comes off as your standard dumb hick the entire time she and Hydrangea are making their way into town. Turns out this isn't quite the case, and not only did she know Hydrangea was a fairy from the get-go, but she was also smart enough not to reveal her real name, and used idiocy to lull Hydrangea into a false sense of security so Agatha could capture her.
- Really Gets Around:It's subtle due to the comic's all-ages rating, but it's clear what this scene
is implying.Hydrangea: You have... a reputation...Agatha: Haha! I have fun!
Fairies
Cedric
One of Periwinkle's brothers. Although supposedly adept at magic, he dropped out of the Academy and never went back.
- Big Brother Instinct: Of all of Periwinkle's family, Cedric is the most protective of her. Lavender does what they can to look after their siblings as well, and chastises Periwinkle a bit for unwittingly taking advantage of Cedric's protective nature.
- Brilliant, but Lazy: Cedric is implied to be as talented with magic as his other siblings, but dropped out of the academy some time ago and has been out of practice ever since.
Celeste
One of Periwnkle's sisters. The second-most powerful fairy in the realm.
- Readings Are Off the Scale: Magic is ranked on the character bios on a five-star system, but Hydrangea and Celeste are so powerful that they are simply rated as 5+.
Lavender
One of Periwinkle's older siblings.
- Ambiguous Gender Identity: Lavender's exact gender identity is never stated, but their character page says they use gender-neutral pronouns (they/them).
- What the Hell, Hero?: Points out to Peri why her asking her older brother who dropped out of the Academy to pick up books from the Academy library puts him in an incredibly uncomfortable position.
Razzmatazz
A fairy who has chosen to live among humans to be with his true love. One of the protagonists of Life of Melody.
- Defector from Decadence: Ultimately he came to love Bon and raising Melody with him. So much so he ultimately and intentionally got himself banished from fairy society (via destroying Melody's book something that's forbidden) and become a human to be with them.
- Fish out of Water: Abandoned the realm of fairies to live on Earth with his lover. That transition takes some getting used to.
- Forbidden Romance: Razz and his partner, who is definitely not a fairy. Periwinkle meets him on Earth, and can't fathom why he would choose to leave behind the fairy world.
- Interspecies Romance: He's a fairy and his partner is a troll.
Humans
Dagmar
Nibling to the Royal Magician, Dagmar grew up with Vallery after her parents died and eventually took over as Royal Magician.
- Ambiguous Gender Identity: Dagmar's exact gender identity is never stated, and their looks are very androgynous. Those around them refer to them with gender-neutral pronouns (they/them).
- Black Eyes of Crazy: Vallery points out with concern that Dagmar's eyes turned to black during a fight, and Dagmar is not pleased.
- The Bully: Can come off this way—they don't seem to understand that Vallery was a traumatized seven-year-old who had just lost her parents, and seem to resent her for her understandably childish behavior. They were coming around and seemed to be growing to like Vallery, when the Green-Eyed Monster reared its ugly head over Vallery's exceptional talent for magic.
- Childhood Friend Romance: Appears to have known their current girlfriend since they were teenagers.
- Everyone Has Standards: Despite what they think of Vallery, when they sent her over the edge of a cliff by accident they immediately tried to catch her.
- Green and Mean: Dagmar's signature color is green, both in childhood and adulthood, and they are not very sympathetic or kind, particularly towards Vallery.
- Green-Eyed Monster: When Dagmar overheard their uncle telling the king and queen Vallery should be the one to inherit his position they ran off in tears. They also seemed to resent their uncle's praise of Vallery's talent, and that they couldn't keep pace with a magician half their age. In the present day, Dagmar is pursuing Vallery as a suspect for odd goings-on Dagmar alleges."She's ruining everything...I don't care how old she is! It's not fair!"
- Happily Adopted: Dagmar appears to have been content to live with Uncle Vasquez, who tutored them in magic before Vallery showed up."I don't have parents! You don't see me all catatonic!"
- Improperly Paranoid: Dagmar is sure that there's something terrible about to happen in the kingdom, and Vallery is behind it. The only thing that's gone on so far is a fairy with no magic appearing to assist with Vallery's love life. Even if there is something going on, Vallery isn't behind it.
- Nephewism: Damgar was raised by their uncle.
- Queer Romance: With their girlfriend, Ligia.
- The Resenter: Views Vallery as having disrupted their life and is pursuing them current-day because they assume whatever weirdness going on lately must be Vallery's fault.
- Right Behind Me: A frustrated teenage Dagmar is ranting very harshly about Vallery to Ligia, when they realize Val has been there for some time, and definitely overheard Dagmar say she should have died with her parents.
The Prince
The other part of Periwinkle's assignment—he's the one whom Vallery is supposed to fall in love with and marry.
- He Who Must Not Be Seen: Despite being one half of Periwinkle's assignment, he's yet to appear. It's hinted that he's the artist Peri ran into on her second day with Vallery, but even that might be a Red Herring.
Other
Cicero
Vallery's magically talking cat.
- Cat Stereotype: Despite not really acting like a stereotypical cat and being able to talk, he feels a compulsion to bat at balls of yarn that even he doesn't understand.
- Only Sane Man: Between Vallery's extreme loner tendencies and Peri's unfamiliarity with the human world, Cicero has the easiest time interacting with people as he runs Vallery's errands into the city.
- He's also generally the first to point out when Vallery and Peri get particularly bad ideas, although he's often ignored.
Bon
A troll variant who runs into Razzmatazz in the woods while they're both looking for a baby. One of the protagonists of Life of Melody.
- Friend to All Children: He almost immediately befriends a group of runaway daycare kids.
- Interspecies Romance: By the time of the mainline comic he's in a relationship with Razz, a fairy.
- Only Sane Man: To Razz. He might not be human, but he has a much better grasp on how humans act than Razz does.
- Third Eye: He has one in his troll form which allows him to see the future, it's how he found Melody and knew about Razz ahead of time.
