History Roleplay / Communication

The idea of a Quest is always interesting. Multiple people directing the actions and designs of one entity or group as it strives to fulfill an objective, be it survival, power, love or a multitude of other possibilities.

This is the main plot behind ''Communication'', a Website/SpaceBattlesDotCom roleplay where, as indicated, the players interact with the subject of the Quest directly: asking them questions, making suggestions, and sometimes engaging in a little SnarkToSnarkCombat with the poor bugger that got their mind full of an indeterminate number of independent minds, all trying to be as (un)helpful as possible with their ideas and their foreknowledge.

* BattleHarem: [[spoiler: Taylor]] gains one by the start of the epilogue, which consists of [[BatDeduction Lisa]], [[{{Biomanipulation}} Amy]], [[BenevolentAI Dragon]], [[ActionFashionista Sabah]], [[ArcherArchetype Lily]], [[MultiArmedAndDangerous Sveta]], and [[HumanoidAbomination Selene]].

** Another difference, and a fairly major one, is that, while Colette is relatively sane, Consensus is actually missing a sizeable portion of their marbles. Though that's something of a given wherever, and whenever, [[SpaceBattles.com SBers]] are involved. [[ConfusionFu Though it does allow them to come up with tactics that wouldn't normally be considered]].

* KidnappedByTheCall: [[AvertedTrope Averted]]. Colette assures that ''no'' summon will be stolen or kidnapped from their place of origin.

* SweetPollyOliver: Before officially starting Louise's week of training, Karin gives her daughter the clothing she wore when she disguised her gender in her {{BackStory}}, ''[[SpinOff Heavy Wind, the Female Knight Captain]]''.

* TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse: [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] by Scáth, since he wouldn't be a good assassin if he actually looked the part to people.

** Kanna, who goes through ''quite'' the TraumaCongaLine. [[spoiler: In just one day she discovers that [[CloningBlues she is the latest clone]] of [[TomatoInTheMirror a Witch stuff into the body of a dead magical girl]], her [[CoolBigSis two best friends that she's only known]] have been hunting down and experimenting on other magical girls before they themselves get killed after [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere she runs away]]. Soon after, she finds herself chased down for five days straight by an absolutely [[{{Sadist}} sadistic]] magical girl who'll subject her to an FateWorseThanDeath if caught.]] By the time she is able to get to Homura again, [[InelegantBlubbering she's clearly incapable of keeping it together]]...[[BodyHorror in more ways than one]]. Thankfully, things DO get better for her after all of that.

* TheChampion: As her very first summon, the first ascended human, ''and'', [[TheCaptain the commander of the first company]], Steve is this to Louise.

* CooldownHug: Kirche holds Louise in her arms as the latter cries after [[spoiler: executing Wardes.]]

-> ''"Foreword.''
->''Henceforth, I shall record the truth I know. All materials in the world are comprised of fine grains. The four branches intervene with these fine grains and apply an influence, which transforms them into spells. This was how [[NaturalElements “Fire”, “Water”, “Wind” and “Earth”]] were formed.''
-> ''The gods bestowed upon me a greater strength. The fine grains, which the four branches hold influence over, are comprised of even finer grains. These grains do not belong to any of the four and instead are the substance of their making. The branch that has been bestowed unto me by the gods wields these finer grains and applies an influence which transforms them into spells.''
-> ''[[PowerOfTheVoid This hidden nothingness, this so-called zero that the gods have bestowed upon me I hereby name ‘Void’.]]''
-> ''The one who is able to read this, will inherit my deeds, thoughts and objectives. They will become the bearer of this power. Be mindful, wielder of this power. For my brethren and I, who have died unfulfilled, you should strive towards retaking the Holy Lands stolen by heathens. Thus, I choose the reader of this book.''
-> ''[[TakeUpMySword Know that I am Brimir Ru Rumiru Yuru Viri Vee Varutori. And by blood and fate I name you my inheritor."]]''
* DecompositeCharacter: In this story, Consensus takes the place of Saito Hiraga as Louise's familiar while Steve, the first solider of Louise's army summoned, gets the status of Ganalfr.

** An SinisterMinister whose willing to manipulate and commit genocide to avoid him and his CultOfPersonality getting caught up in the upcoming ApocalypseHow.

* DudeWheresMyRespect: [[DiscussedTrope As Steve has observed]], despite being the youngest child of the well-known and powerful Vallières, [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer she isn't respected too much.]] [[JustifiedTrope This is due to the fact that every spell she casted up until summoning Consensus and Colette ended in an explosion.]]

* FakeUltimateHero: Downplayed; Birmir ''isn't'' the one to have created all of magic known in Halkeginia and actually comes from a tribe of people full of mages. However, he was very likely the first Void mage in the world and [[TalentedButTrained had to learn how to use Void magic from scratch.]]

* FireIceDuo: Kirche(Fire) and Tabitha(Ice) have had this dynamic long before joining Louise. In fact, the first advancements - [[PlayingWithFire The Ardent]] and [[AnIcePerson The Hailstorm]] respectively - they got when inducted into her army made this relationship go up to eleven.

** ''Very'' much so. Not only is this the first Communication Quest to take place in a setting that isn't Planet Earth, but also, the players are empowering an entire army instead of just a single Host. And in addition to having an actual 'body' as opposed to being regulated to being simply just a voice in the head, Consensus isn't alone in aiding the chosen Host, this time having a companion known as the System Core.
** Unlike the previous two Quests, where the players are the ones responsible for switching and organizing powers, this time around Consensus literally has no power to speak of. With Louise, the players are literally just a voice in a tiny ball hovering around her head that can randomly play music.. Louise and Colette are the ones with all the power over everything and can easily just ignore the players if they upset them enough without losing a thing. Colette's existence in the latest Host is much more important than ours.

* GoodBadGirl: Kirche, full stop. Her arranged marriage got called off by her to-be-husband due to her refusing to stop her ReallyGetsAround hobby. This led to her family having a daughter known for her "promiscuity" and was sent to Tristain’s Academy of Magic so people would forget her reputation...this doesn't work. Still, Kirche proves herself to be an understanding, loyal, and supportive friend to have, to the point that Lousie inducts her into her army despite the previous bad blood between the two girls and [[FeudingFamilies the bitter history]] between their families.

* GroupHug: Consensus secretly arranges for themselves, Rowan, Kirche, and Tabitha to give Louise one to help her deal with [[spoiler: killing her traitorous fiancee.]] [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments It works.]]

** Louise has ''quite'' the big one during her first private conversation with Consensus, where she learns exactly WHY [[PowerOfTheVoid she's been having so much trouble with her magic.]]
** She gets an even worse one when she [[InternalReveal is informed of]] [[LoveInterestTraitor Wardes being apart of Reconquista.]]

* HonorBeforeReason: This is Prince Wales' mindset, who makes it clear he won't abandon his country even if it means the death of him. The narrative presents this as a ''[[DeconstructedTrope very bad thing]]'' considering Wales' position and the circumstances surrounding Albion's line of succession: if he dies along side of his father, then the one closest to the throne is [[HeroicBastard Tiffania]] aka an half-elf born by the human Archduke de Albion and her elf mother. If this gets out in the hypothetical death of Wales, then Alibon will be dealing with a ''severe'' SuccessionCrisis caused by the HalfBreedDiscrimination that will no doubt result from Tiffania's claim to the throne, which will more likely than not led to another CivilWar. On a more personal level, Wales' death-before-dishonor approach causes no end of distress for his lover, Henrietta, never-mind how badly [[DespairEventHorizon his avoidable death will cause her]].
--> '''Henrietta:''' The rebels have Newcastle surrounded but he could escape! There’s a passage in the cliffs large enough for a ship...but he refuses to flee speaking of honor like such a thing can be found in death!
** Louise is offered the option to summon an assassin to kill [[LoveInterestTraitor Wardes]] for her. While she knows how utterly ''easy'' it would be to do such, she prefers to confront him face-to-face so she can [[GoodCannotComprehendEvil so she can actually understand his actions.]]

* IllKillYou: Louise flat outs to [[TheRival Kirche]] that if she tell anybody what [[SummonMagic occurred]] in the forest, she'll have Elaine ''burn her to ash''...if, [[ImpliedDeathThreat she doesn't get to her first.]]

--> '''Colette:''' Director, I cannot purge your body of intoxicants until you have access to the Metaphorical Armour. Please, remain alert.
--> '''Louise:''' Shut up Colette.

* InsultBackfire: How Louise is starting to view her Embarrassing Nickname since it ties [[PowerOfTheVoid perfectly with her element]].

** As recompense for revealing to Louise about her familiar being a [[EndangeredSpecies Rhyme Dragon]], Consensus reveals to Tabitha about [[spoiler: the existence of Josette, [[SeparatedAtBirth her secret twin sister]].]]

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Kirche von Zerbst is one of Louise's chief tormentors at Tristain Academy of Magic, but after Louise's spiteful insult at her when encountered in the hallway, Kirche followed her into the forest to see if she is alright. She later on becomes on of her closest friends and apart of her inner circle.
* KickTheDog: Louise, when going to the forest to blow off steam after learning of Wales's betrayal, does this in the following exchange when [[TheRival Kirche]] bumps into her during this state

** The Heiress' Gloves are pair of void gloves capable breaking down spells into their base void state, which can then be used to empower the wearer's own spells.
* MamaBear: Karin is ([[TranquilFury calmly]]) furious when she misunderstands Henrietta'S suggestion of Louise going to Albion during its CivilWar by itself.

* MidSeasonUpgrade: Fireteam one gain their own, personal magic staffs and Rhyme Dragons during the Albion campaign.

* MotiveRant: [[spoiler: Wardes gives on to Louise went she finally confronts him on his betrayal.]]
--> '''Louise:''' HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?! BETRAY YOUR KINGDOM! BETRAY ME!
--> '''[[spoiler: Wardes]]''' You were a nothing! A failure of a mage, valuable for nothing but your beauty and your family's blood! I could have accepted that, perhaps, but you were hardly a prize to be sought after! There are things that mean more to me than you ever could, ''Louise''. ''That'' is why I betrayed you. And now what? Will you execute me like the royalist you are? Have your men strike me down-
--> '''Louise:''' [[TalkToTheFist FLARE!]]

* NegatedMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler: An sense of triumph or satisfaction Louise might have gotten from personally killing her Wardes, her traitor of a fiancee, gets undermined by how emotionally distressing the whole experience is for her on a personal level.]]

** As observed by Louise and Corvid, Tabitha is much more expressive and intense than her usual expressionless indicates.
** Lynette, who has been presented as an ferociously aloof borderline cold figure, bursts out in laughter when Louise's asks if she would be able to defeat twelve enemy airships with another five first-rate ships added to her forces.

** Rowan gets this when she reads from stolen letters that [[spoiler: there will be reinforcements coming to Newcastle just hours ''after'' Louise and her army just finished defeating the forces there.]]

--> '''Kirche:''' [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere ...Well, its been very nice knowing you Louise but perhaps it is best if I leave...]]
* OneWomanArmy: Tabitha manages to curb-stomp her way through a whole squad of triangle mages [[spoiler: when escaping with her healed mother.]]

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: [[ArmorPiercingQuestion When asked by Louise what she meant about training exercise]], the normally informative and and accommodating immediately tries to deflect answering by using Consensus' messages. This pisses off Louise so much that she refuses to talk to Colette for the rest of the day.

--> '''Consensus:''' Your mother loves you. [[ShellshockedVeteran She has seen and done far too many things of...questionable morality and spent too much of her life dwelling on them to know how to properly express it]], but she does indeed love you. If you stumble, she will correct you. If you fail, she will be disappointed in you. If you become everything in the world she hates, she might even fight against you to the bitter end. But she will never stop loving you as your mother. You do not need to fear her, only what she is capable of when pressed.

* PestController: Louise is able to summon and control a whole host of bugs that follow her commands. She summons spiders and wasps to help out with the sabotage of the Reconquista’s supplies and forces. [[spoiler: [[ItCanThink And then one of each group gains self-awareness...]]]]

* PoorCommunicationKills: The reason why the relationship between [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer Louise]] and [[GoodBadGirl Kirche]] got so toxic. [[FeudingFamilies Due to their families being enemies]], Kirche was content with simply ignoring Louise for their time together at school, but [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex Louise being Louise]] after [[NoodleIncident a poor encounter]], is the one who indulged in the family feuding with Kirche. [[WorthyOpponent Seeing and enjoying the fire Louise displayed in that encounter]], Kirche decided to [[SnarkToSnarkCombat indulged in it as well]], thinking ''that's'' what Louise actually wanted. This resulted in Kirche becoming unintentionally TheFace of all the mockery Louise faced at school, with her giving the nickname [[EmbarrassingNickname Louise the Zero]].
* PrecisionFStrike: Louise drops the F-bomb [[RuleOfThree three times over]] at Consensus when they start [[MotorMouth rambling]] about the wonders of rain...''while Louise is running through a rain storm in the morning''.
* PrettyPrincessPowerhouse: Henrietta fits this to a T, being a princess who is next in line for Tristain's throne who just so happens to be a star-mage.

* QuantityVsQuality: The Third Battle of Newcastle showcases an aerial example of this, with Louise summoning five first-rate airships to counter the Reconquista's incoming twelve(one first-rate ship, four second-rate ships, and seven third-rate ships). While not coming out unscathed, none of the five first-rate ships are lost while all twelve Reconquista airships were completely destroyed.

* SarcasmMode: Basically Louise's default response to whenver Consensus goes into ServileSnarker mode.
--> '''Consensus:'''''(referring to the trap for [[spoiler: Wardes]])'' Yeah... on the topic of your "plan" needing work, we'll be nice and avoid saying that "we told you so".
--> '''Louise:''' Oh, thank you, truly.

-->'''Taitha'''''(mentally)'': Indeed, I’ve never used such an interesting kind of communication. The way that your words can move so easily, with just a thought, is something that I never believed was possible. It’s almost like one’s affinity in a way - I know you light candles with barely a thought Kirche, you know what I mean - the ability to simply think and have it be known. It’s really quite an experience.

--> '''Celeste:''' Well I think it suits you. What else would a magically useless bookworm get than a knowledge spirit that tells tall tales?
--> '''Kirche:''' And remind me, Celeste, what you received as a familiar? A cat, wasn’t it? Hardly the most outstanding of creatures! Nothing at all like my salamander, and even ''I'' have to admit that summoning a spirit if far more impressive than my Flame! So where does that leave you?
--> '''Celeste:''' Able to actually cast ''spells'', Kirche, unlike the Zero here!
--> '''Kirche:''' [[SarcasmMode And yet you barely manage to match her grades. Truly impressive.]]

* SlippingAMickey: [[spoiler: Louise has her ship's crew slip sleeping poison into the food of Wardes' griffon, so it is too sedated to allow him to escape.]]
* SmarterThanYouLook: As lampshades by Colette, Kirche is much more eloquent and refined about her passionate nature than one would expect from [[ReallyGetsAround her]].

* TheSpymaster: Arthur, an Heroic Seneschal Spy himself, if the head of Louise's Whisper network.

* TheStrategist: Colette is VERY ecstatic that Louise has manged to maneuver the duel with Guiche and Steve into her favor and is encouraging of her to do this more often into the future.
* StressVomit: Louise proceeds to empty the contents of her stomach after [[spoiler: personally killing Wardes.]]

* SugarAndIcePersonality: ''Louise in spades''. It has been stated that as aloof, demanding, and cold she can be, she understands and fully believes in [[ComesGreatResponsibility to the crown, her family, and her people.]]

* TearsOfRemorse: Louise proceeds to cry her heart out [[spoiler: after killing Wardes.]]

* TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow: Louise more and more is feeling this way, especially after learning about the existence of [[PowersThatBe the Concepts.]]

* YankTheDogsChain: [[spoiler: Louise and her army manages to defeat the enemy forces at Newcastle with minimual casualties only to find out that there are reinforcements numbering in the ''ten thousands'' set to arrive hours later.]]

* BattleCouple: [[spoiler: Homura and Madoka by the time of the epilogue. Far more demonstrated by their [[FutureBadass future counterparts from 500 years]], who goes on to completely wipe out the invading Incubators, spaceships and all.]]

* AllLesbiansWantKids: [[PlayingWithATrope Played With]]. [[spoiler: While Selene/Simurgh MOST certainly does and voices this thought after seeing how adorable Homura and Madoka are together. Unfortunately, Taylor does her damnest to avoid this topic...and according to Future!Madoka, continues to do so for the next ''500 years''.]]

* WhatTheHellAreYou: So far, EVERYONE from Halkeginia's reaction to Consensus...unless your name is [[AdmiringTheAbomination Osmond Longueville]].

* DiabolusExMachina: Together with Consensus, Homura has come up with a good plan to get a (not-yet magical girl) [[AscendedExtra Nagisa Momoe]] to make a [[ExactWords better Wish than canon]] and then get her [[SenpaiKohai to meet with Mami so they can make bond]], meaning that the latter won't meet [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom Madoka and Sayaka]] and get them to [[DealWithTheDevil contract with Kyubey as a result]]. Unfortunately, [[spoiler: the very moment they meet Nagisa at the hospital, [[YouAreTooLate she's already contracted]] and ''[[DespairEventHorizon her mother dies in her bed]]''.]]

->''Henceforth, I shall record the truth I know. All materials in the world are comprised of fine grains. The four branches intervene with these fine grains and apply an influence, which transforms them into spells. This was how [[FourElementEnsemble “Fire”, “Water”, “Wind” and “Earth”]] were formed.''

* FourElementEnsemble: The first fire team fits this to a T, with Elaine being a [[PlayingWithFire fire mage]]​, Anton being a [[DishingOutDirt earth mage]]​, Noe being a [[MakingASplash ​ water mage]], and Lea being a [[BlowYouAway air mage]].