Sapphire is a series of Web Serial Novels written by SpyHunter89 on his DeviantArt page. 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.
Sapphire is essentially Spy Fiction; the stories are set during the Cold War; more specifically, the late 1970s and 80s. But instead of regular Russians, the antagonists (and some of the minor protagonists) have Psychic Powers.
This series provides examples of:
- Affably Evil: Boris would prefer to show someone a magic trick before killing him or her.
- All There in the Manual: Many, many characters have been introduced through the author's DeviantArt page that have not had even a remote chance to show up in the story yet.
- "Arabian Nights" Days: The Altair base evokes this trope. However, although it is based in Iran (as was the real Arabian Nights, bonus!), the base is under control of the Soviet Union and a Renegade Russian third party...
- Big Damn Heroes: Andrew, who saves Alec from Boris's firing squad in Episode III.
- Body Snatcher: Ivanka takes posession of Khina's body to save Alec. It works, but she is discovered because Khina was two months pregnant.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Boris takes over Khina's mind from afar to have her assassinate Elodie. She fails.
- Brother–Sister Team: Subverted - Ivanka is working against her brother Boris.
- Calling Your Attacks:
- Psychics do this sometimes, often in their native language. For example, the call for Boris's Blood Rose attack is "Krov' roza", which in fact is Russian for its own name.
- Michiru and Daisuke call out their Ninjutsu attacks in Japanese, Naruto-style.
- Cartwright Curse: Somewhat. Ivanka gets killed, but only five years after she marries Alec, which in turn was four years since they first met.
- Catchphrase: Boris has "Comrade Alec", and Artemis Gilliam has "Seriously!".
- The Charmer: Alec refuses to fall for more than one woman at a time - even if the woman in question has been kidnapped for three years.
- Cloak and Dagger: The Delta Defense Alliance and Omega Order are both fictional organizations not officially aligned with any real-world government.
- Dirty Communists: Mostly averted. All the Russians/North Koreans/miscellaneous Communists in the story are either good and/or being played by the bad guys (a Renegade Russian third power).
- Disney Death: Double Subversion. 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.
- The '80s: Episodes II and III take place mainly in 1982 and 1989, respectively.
- Everything Sounds Sexier in French: Lampshaded.Alec: Why is it that whenever you talk in French, it sounds cuter?Elodie: Well, I know they say French is the language of love...Alec: ...Then I guess they were right.
- Fanservice: Michiru wears a bandage bra which she cuts open with a Ninja knife at one point. Alec even jokes about how she is able to buy her lingere from the first-aid department.
- Furo Scene: Between Alec and Ivanka on their honeymoon. They try to get close to each other during their bath together, but Ivanka is reminded of a time when she was raped, and suffers a Heroic BSoD before running out crying.
- Gender-Blender Name: Not only does Claude sound rather feminine in English, it is a gender-neutral name in his native French.
- Although, Alec and Michiru eventually try to make love, but are rudely interrupted by Daisuke.
- Goggles Do Something Unusual: Michiru and Daisuke use Psychic-scanning Aura Vision binoculars.
- Good Smoking, Evil Smoking: Subverted: Elodie uses a cigarette holder, not because she's an evil Baroness, but because she's rich and glamorous. That still doesn't stop Alec from trying to make her quit.
- Gratuitous Foreign Language: Not only are Russian, Japanese and French stock phrases used, but the Psychics call their attacks in their native language.
- Heroic BSoD: Alec, after Boris kills Ivanka. He even tries to shoot himself, but backs down before pulling the trigger.
- And again, when he sees Boris alive. The delay keep him from killing Boris when he decides to just shoot him... not that it would do any good against a Psychic.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Ivanka offers to be executed in Alec's stead. A Senseless Sacrifice is narrowly avoided.
- Highly-Visible Ninja: Aika Akagi has a shiny red Spy Catsuit and green hair.
- Intercontinuity Crossover: SpyHunter's crossover fanfics with Totally Spies!. Contains copious amounts of Take That!.
- Magic A Is Magic A: The details of Psychic magic have yet to be explained.
- No Bisexuals: 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.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Artemis Gilliam is an Expy of Simon Cowell. He even judges a karaoke contest at one point.
- No One Could Survive That!: 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.
- Not Distracted by the Sexy: Alec refuses to fall for Michiru. Although, they eventually try to make love, but are rudely interrupted by Daisuke.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: How in the world could Elodie not tell that was Nikolai behind that eye-mask!?
- Psychic Powers: Many of the villains - and some of the allies - are Psychics, and demonstrate all manner of powers.
- Even ninjas are Psychics, in a sense. Alec makes the connection that "ninjutsu is probably some variation on the whole psychic philosophy".
- Recycled In Space:
- It's James Bond... with Psychics.
- The plot for Episode II also draws many comparisons to You Only Live Twice.
- Renegade Russian: Boris Rubanenko. Officially, he pledges allegiance to the Soviet Union. 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 trying to start another war between North Korea and Japan in Episode II, plus whatever he has up his sleeve for Episode III...
- Ring of Fire: Daisuke creates a green ring of fire during his duel with Michiru. She defeats him by teleporting out of the ring,
then leaps back into it and skewers him. - Senseless Sacrifice: Almost happened. Even after Boris killed Ivanka after promising Alec would be spared, he proceeds to kill Alec as well. He is saved, however, when his friend Andrew pulls a little Deus ex Machina.
- Turns out it was senseless after all. You can imagine Alec's surprise when he saw Boris alive two years later.
- Shameless Self-Promotion: the author himself started this page.
- Something about a Rose: Boris's 'Blood Rose' attack. Which involves killing the victim by teleporting it into his/her heart.
- The '70s: Episode I takes place mainly in 1978.
- The Unpronounceable: Alec has trouble pronouncing Khina's name in the Episode I bonus chapter, since the glottal 'kh' sound does not occur in (American) English.
- Unwanted Harem: It's not his harem, but Alec refuses to fall for the advances of Khina and the other girls.
- Why Don't Ya Just Shoot Him?: Averted by Alec. After their first few encounters, his way of greeting Boris involves shooting him in the head. 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."
- The same cannot be said of Boris, who would prefer to show someone a magic trick before killing him or her.
