Roleplay / Communication

"Be very, very still and very, very quiet and attempt to listen carefully."

— Consensus

A ________Story By Consensus

The idea of a Forum 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.

Having the players speak directly to the Quest's main character is quite unusual, though.

This is the main plot behind Communication, a game on SpaceBattles.com where, as indicated, the players interact with the subject of the Quest directly: asking them questions, making suggestions, and sometimes engaging in a little Snark-to-Snark Combat 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.

It is mastered by TheCompiler, and so far there's been three incarnations:

• Communication: A Worm Quest: The players become Taylor Hebert's power instead of controlling bugs, and proceed to take advantage of their foreknowledge to make sure she won't be making the mistakes that befell her canon self. Finished as of 7/25/16.
• Communication: A Puella Magi Madoka Magica Quest: When Homura Akemi wakes up in in the 42nd time loop of her Wish, the players form the Consensus in her mind and try to help her as best as possible in order to prevent the events of Rebellion from occurring in this universe. Finished as of 4/17/19.
• Communication: A Familiar of Zero Quest: Summoned directly into a new world this time around, Consensus is officially placed in an advisory role to Louise Françoise Le Blanc De La Vallière, who herself is put in the position of Director to System Core of this Multiverse Command System, with a mission and end-goal both must figure out if they are to save everyone.

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Communication features the following tropes:

All Incarnations

• Anthropomorphic Personification: The Mortal Concepts are the bosses of Consensus, who are the ones responsible for sending the them to a certain universe, which varies from concept to concept. The ones we know of so far are: Benevolence, Loyalty, Love, Hope, Entropy, Fate, Order, Freedom, Destruction, Structure, Arrogance, Death, Anarchy, and Space.
• Blue-and-Orange Morality: The Mortal Concepts views of the multi-universe really can't be simplified into good or evil as all of their power comes from when they are invoked. The more powerful the being invoking them, the more power they receive. And since the universes are infinite, they themselves are infinitely powerful. But there are infinities of different sizes...
• Broken Ace: Each Host of Consensus absolutely hits jackpot in the Super Power Lottery, quickly and easily becoming the most powerful person around. Each Host also has serious issues that hold them back and need to work out as the Quest goes on.
• The Chessmaster: Through the instructions and foreknowledge that Consensus has of canonical situations and events, every Host becomes this. Being aware of certain events, big or small, that will occur or have already occurred in the world, each Host is able to maneuver things in way that will increase the powerbase and position of them and their allies dramatically while also striking at foes and enemies in a way that'll greatly cripple them or take them off of the board completely. However, since being too careful will result in big consequences, some improvisation is needed to stay ahead of everything.
• The Chosen One: Through the work of a particular ROB or Concept, each Host is chosen to hold and be assisted by Consensus.
• Combat Pragmatist: Consensus encourages this mindset to their Host and allies in order to deal with threats as quickly and as efficiently as possible with as little cost as possible.
• Genius Bruiser: The Hosts of Consensus. Wither in terms of magic, technology, or/and planning, they all showcase brilliance that is among the most and even beyond the greatest of minds in their worlds, consistently demonstrating creative breakthroughs of problems they encounter and are able to find unique uses their abilities. This is ALL in addition to the fact that they are more than capable of dishing out and taking on anything in their way.
• Genre Shift: To be expected from travelling to different universes, since the Quests practically leap from one completely different medium to the next. So far, it has gone from a Grimdark Superhero webseries, to a Dark Magical Girl anime/manga and THEN to a standard fantasy light novel/anime.
• Hearing Voices: What makes these Quests so unique. The players (i.e. Consensus) are directly in the heads of the particular Host for a Quest, meaning that they are directly giving directions to the character In-Universe.
• The Heavy: With the foreknowledge of all events of their respective series thanks to Consensus, the Hosts of each Quest completely derail and change many plot points to the canon story, with the typical reaction of everyone else around them being to scramble all around desperately in order to keep pace with these huge divergences from what was supposed to originally occur.
• Honest Advisor: Let it be said from the off that Consensus is most definitely on the side of their Hosts, always having each one's best interests first and foremost. This also means that they will ALWAYS say what their supported need to hear, not what they always want, no matter how adverse to the truth they would rather be. They are officially known as "The Advisor" in the third incarnation.
• It Amused Me: The reason why these Quests even occur in the first place and something that MUST be kept in mind in every iteration of this Quest, because if things get too boring for the Concepts or easy for the Hosts, then the former will take certain...actions to shake things up considerably to make things "interesting".
  Homura: Why would you do this?
  Loyalty (smiling): Because it's fun!
• No Fourth Wall: The players are talking directly to the main character.
• Not So Omniscient After All: This is something Consensus themselves refer to as "Limited Omniscience": while the players themselves know every that occurs in the canon of the universe they find themselves in, because of the stories take place in a different universe than the work, certain things tend to differ from Consensus knows, resulting in things not going exactly as expected.
  Lisa: So you know what’ll happen, but only a limited amount...no, a single path. One future. No. A number but...specific ones.
• Omake: Particularly good (or funny) stories written by the players grant hosts extra abilities or currency to buy new powers.
• Outside-Context Problem: Consensus. Being The Omniscient in someone's head tends to be this trope for everyone else within the particular world they live in.
• Super Power Lottery: Each Host gets the motherload. Their powers, apart from the ability to communicate with the "Limited Omniscience" in their head (the players) gives them the ability to potentially hold powers of every kind there is in their respective universe and exchange them when needed.
• Time Skip: Consensus is occasionally given the option to do this when they want to fast forward to important events. By the second Quest, they've learnt/figured out how to do this in a way that messes with their Host.
• Troll: No matter what universe they are in, Consensus will find a way to completely mess with those around them if the situation allows it.
  Colette: I understand that they are your advisors, Director, but they seem to make it their mission to aggravate me.
• Voice of the Legion: Consensus is this by default, being specifically described as sounding like a chorus of voices.
• World's Strongest Man: Thanks to Consensus, each of the Hosts become the most powerful and influential being of their respective universes. How they get there is part of the fun of these Quests.

Worm

• Adorable Abomination: How Consensus views the Simurgh, due to how much she wants to just be with other people with no strings attached.
• Alternate Universe Reed Richards Is Awesome: Taylor's Tinker ability allows her to design any piece of technology that would normally appear within a century - and, unlike other Tinkertech, Taylor can mass produce hers.
• And the Adventure Continues: Despite her own Quest ending, Taylor's story is still going on strong. The very end of the Quest has her making First Contact. From what a vague update of the GM has stated, Taylor has control of all five Nasuverse True Magics, owns the better part of several dozen galaxies, has access to technology equal and beyond most precursor civilizations, is currently testing herself against all four Warp Gods at the same time... and winning, and has several new additions to her harem.
• Anti-Climax: In the end, Orion the Endbringer gets killed within an hour after he arrives to Brockton Bay.
• Back from the Dead: One of Taylor's healing powers can bring the recently deceased back to life. A later story features Taylor bringing her mother back.
• Battle in the Center of the Mind: This where the last battle of the quest between Taylor and Minato takes place, which occurs in the former's mindscape, where one with the greater sense of 'self' wins.
• Battle Harem: Taylor gains one by the start of the epilogue, which consists of Lisa, Amy, Dragon, Sabah, Lily, Sveta, and Selene.
  Lisa: Consensus can be very convincing.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: When Taylor uses her fighting powers, she can be terrifying. For example, after she forces Coil to collapse the timeline where his mercenaries kill her father, she teleports to Coil's office and brutally beats him, forcing the man to create five different timelines in a few seconds as she breaks his neck in the first three of them and cornering him in a position where he dies no matter what happens.
• Cut Lex Luthor a Check: Subverted. One of the first things Taylor does with her newfound powers and knowledge? Plan to start a company to sell her technology.
• Death by Adaptation: Coil bites the dust way before he did in canon, when he goes after Taylor and she answers by killing him with no chance of escape.
• Did You Just Romance Cthulhu?: The Epilogue reveals that Taylor has managed to get The Sigmurgh, now being more of a Humanoid Abomination, to be apart of her harem.
• The Empath: Taylor gets the "Social Genius" power quite early, allowing her to determine the mental state of people and, incertain circumstances, learn how to best respond to them.
• Death Glare: Sophia gives two to Taylor. 1) When the secret video of the Trio's bullying of Taylor is shown to the court, and 2) when the Trio is found guilty.
• Fallen Hero: The three final bosses of this quest line are specifically referred to as "Corrupted Legends" that serve have the final opponents for this Quest, which includes Robin Hood, Pandora, and Minato Namikaze.
• Final Boss: While the quest was expected to last a long time, it was going to be cut short, so the author brought three of these:
  • Cloak, an archer that can steal Taylor's powers. It's a reference to Robin Hood. His end comes when Taylor unmasks him and reveals his name.
  • Pithos, a woman that can throw conceptual curses in the form of spells or place them as area effects. It's Pandora, and ends up being defeated with the combined effort of Taylor, Lisa and Amy to overwhelm her until she cannot escape or avoid being injured.
  • Ink, a man who can place seals blocking Taylor's abilities if he touches her. Turns out to be an evil copy of Minato Namikaze, Naruto's father, and gets killed when Taylor enters a Battle in the Center of the Mind with him and summons Consensus to beat the crap out of him.
• Greater-Scope Paragon: CAPSLOCK until he turns against Consensus in the final stretch of the quest and being directly responsible for the three Final Bosses that appear, effectively becoming the Greater-Scope Villain. Though Arrogance very much takes up this spot near the end as he not only prevents CAPSLOCK from continuing the game, but allows Taylor full control of the very powers CAPSLOCK had a problem with.
• Healing Hands: Amy "Panacea" Dallon has the ability to heal people with a touch. Taylor eventually gains a similar power, only better.
• Heel–Face Turn: Thanks to their interactions with Taylor, people like Tattletale or Simurgh end up changing sides.
• I Just Want to Have Friends: The Simurgh. The only reason she wants the other Endbringers to wake up is because she painfully desires companionship of some sort. Thankfully for her (and everyone else) she gets her wish through Taylor...and much more out of it.
• Irony: During her quest to get ready for the attack of the Endbringers, Taylor learns that they came because Eidolon was subconciously hoping for worthwhile adversaries. The players ended up overpowering Taylor so much that the next Endbringer to appear decided to attack her - and then CAPSLOCK brought three "worthwhile adversaries" for Taylor that made the Endbringers look like kittens.
• The Knights Who Say "Squee!": Even when she reaches the point of becoming an Physical Goddess, Taylor can't help be be starstruck when she meets her childhood heroes.
• Massive Multiplayer Crossover: What the final battle ends up devolving into thanks to Consensus calling upon a whole host of different characters from multiple series and medias.
• Mass "Oh, Crap!": The general reaction when it was discovered that an Endbringer is coming to Brockton Bay explicitly to attack Taylor.
• Necessary Drawback: The main thing keeping Taylor from being the most badass being in the Worm universe (apart from her age and lack of experience) is that getting new powers or changing current powers with other powers requires the expense of Charges, which are only earned by fulfilling goals (or if the Quest Master thinks the players' comments/omakes are good enough).
• Off with His Head!: How Pandora meets her end at Taylor's hands.
• Painting the Medium:
  • Whenever Coil is using his powers, the updates are separated in two parallel universes until Coil collapses the one he doesn't like.
  • Also, when the players gain the ability to speak with other people like Tattletale, said conversation is kept separate from the one with Taylor.
• Papa Wolf: Danny Herbert may not be a parahuman, but he certainly has the guts to spare, calling out the PRT for how they allowed Sophia to bully Taylor without consequence.
• Properly Paranoid: After she wins the trial, Taylor decides to make some defenses for her home. Soon after, Shadow Stalker attempts to murder her inside her own home.
• Running Gag: Taylor getting goals to hook up with other girls.
• The Social Expert: What else do you call a "Social Genius"?
• Suppressed Rage: Sophia goes through this experience during her conversation with Director Piggot, very visibly trying to stop herself from exploding in anger at the latter.
• Switching P.O.V.: This occurs when Consensus has gained the ability to access the mind of Lisa, and later Amy. At that point, the players get to see scenes and situations play out from their perspective as well.
• This Is Unforgivable!: Taylor was understandably on the fence about the idea of killing Coil. Then the Consensus revealed what he did to Dinah Alcott in canon.
  Taylor: Alright then. He dies.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: One of Taylor's early tasks is convincing Amy that she's much better than what she has been led to believe for years.
• You Are Not Alone: Consensus tells Taylor this several times. Even when they have to leave at the end of the quest, they tell Taylor that they will always be with her.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

• And the Adventure Continues: After spending about 150 years on Earth, Homura, Madoka, Mami, and a crew of a hundred thousand leave their home in order to travel The Multiverse.
• All Lesbians Want Kids: Played With. 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.
• Almighty Mom: Even after everything she's done and everything's she's become, Homura really, REALLY would like to avoid the ire of Junko Kaname at all costs, thank you very much.
• All Take and No Give:
  • Strangely justified in Homura's relationships with the world governments, considering just what they were doing to Magical Girls before her interference. This forces Homura to draw the line in order to prevent the dangerous exploitation of her group.
  • Madoka feels like she's this in her relationship with Homura, who is constantly making all of the most difficult decisions and actions in their relationship, which is why she is the one who kills Julia.
• Alternate Timeline: A frequent topic of discussion due to the nature of Homura's original wish. Through this knowledge, alot of decisions Homura make are used to deliberately change certain events to her advantage.
• Awful Truth: As in canon, it is the fact that Witches are the dead bodies Magical Girls who have crossed the Despair Event Horizon. Knowing this truth, Homura works with Consensus to find the right time to tell her allies and friends this, even having a couple of Grief Seeds at hand in case they witch out. Homura actually uses this horrifying revelation to scare away Madoka and Sayaka from contracting with Kyubey before they even meet him.
• Badass Army: The 30-40 forty Magical Girls gathered for the final fight make it clear that they they are a force to be reckon with from the get-go - going through the first four forms of Walpurgisnacht like a hot knife through butter.
• Badass Boast: Homura gives one in the epilogue... to the United States Congress.
  Homura (before her speech): If you don’t mind, I’d like to speak...
• Badass Normal: Exploited through the Ladies In Exile. Due to having the least remarkable and average magics out of all of the groups, they are the most suited to fight against the fourth stage of Walpurgisnacht, whose main ability is Power Copying.
• Bat Family Crossover: Thanks to the suggestions and knowledge of Consensus, Homura finds herself dealing with elements and other Magical Girls from different series:
  • Puella Magi Oriko Magica: Homura kills off Oriko Mikuni and Kirika Kure before they could become a threat to her plans, taking the latter's Soul Gem and powers.
  • Puella Magi Kazumi Magica: Homura and Mami go to Asunaro to confront and put a stop to the Pleiades Saints about what they have been doing. The Soujos later come hunting down Kanna, but is easily taken down by Homura before they could really do any lasting damage. After that, Kanna, The Protagonist of this series, permanently joins Homura, becoming apart of the core group for the rest of the Quest.
  • Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story: Through the power of a "True Wish", Homura is able to apply the Doppel System of that universe to the Magical Girl system of this one, completely eliminating the problem of Magical Girls witching altogether.
• Battle Couple: Homura and Madoka by the time of the epilogue. Far more demonstrated by their future counterparts from 500 years, who go on to completely wipe out the invading Incubators, spaceships and all.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Madoka. Kaname. She is the one responsible for the death of the Final Boss after all.
• Black Speech: A benevolent example of this actually shown here as Consensus discovered how to invoke this during to an terrifying degree in the Asunaro arc against Umika and Kaoru.
• Boom, Headshot!: How Homura finishes off Walpurgisnacht in the final phase of the simulation.
• Break the Cutie:
  • Kanna, who goes through quite the Trauma Conga Line. In just one day she discovers that she is the latest clone of a Witch stuff into the body of a dead magical girl, her two best friends that she's only known have been hunting down and experimenting on other magical girls before they themselves get killed after she runs away. Soon after, she finds herself chased down for five days straight by an absolutely sadistic magical girl who'll subject her to an Fate Worse than Death if caught. By the time she is able to get to Homura again, she's clearly incapable of keeping it together...in more ways than one. Thankfully, things DO get better for her after all of that.
  • Mami herself doesn't take the truth of Wishes all too well. Thankfully, she doesn't go completely over the edge thanks to Homura being there for her.
• Broken Pedestal: By the time she is contacted again, Taylor has grown completely disillusioned with the Mortal Concepts, seeing them as nothing but trouble.
  Taylor: I’ve seen universes where her and her father have been, seen the...things they’ve done.
• Civil War: The Great Meguca Civil War.
• Chick Magnet: Apparently, Taylor's harem has gotten a lot bigger since it was last seen. Hell, she's managed to court Artemis. Yes that one.
  Taylor: Turns out that a sistership-with-benefits is attractive to some girls, who knew?
• Contrasting Sequel Main Character: In terms of personality and game mechanics, Homura's path can parallel Taylor's, which makes the divergences between them all the more striking:
  • In her Quest, Taylor was given one weak power in each of the PRT power categories, each being formulated to be abusable, especially with careful thought, before she was given the ability to upgrade those powers. With Homura, the nature of her world is much more magically inclined, which resulted in the application of Wishes and Aspects; different Aspects of an particular Wish having different magic and weapons. Both girls have the ability to swap between powers that are far removed and different from their respective original; Taylor's canon powers being control over bugs that was rarely used, if ever shown in her adventure, while Homrua still frequently uses her original powers, which revolves around time itself.
  • Despite both qualifying for being Eerie Pale Skinned Brunettes who were Shrinking Violets before Character Development, Taylor and Homura differ quite alot in terms of personality; the former being an American teenager who was a victim of bullying which resulted in her becoming like that, while Homura is an Japanese girl who already started out as such without any outside interference until outside circumstances changed her into becoming far colder and unemotional than Taylor ever was, all of which resulted in her becoming the older out of the two despite looking younger. Also, both girls are Socially Awkward Heroines, but while Taylor's interactions with others make her adorable, Homura's attempts at socializing makes her come across far more stern and unforgiving despite her best intentions.
  • In regards to romance Taylor ended up with a harem of super-powered individuals that come from various backgrounds and worlds/universes. Homura has only ever been interested in Madoka, who herself is very much the resident Badass Pacifist of the setting.
• Cool Ship: The Puella Magi, an intergalactic class spaceship that will be used to travel the multiverse.
• Crazy Enough to Work: During the last phase of the Wally Simulation, Consensus actually convinces Homura to jump inside the Witch's body in order to destroy its core from within. She does it again to end the real one.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: The minute Taylor arrived, the future of everything was decided.
• Darker and Edgier: Than the Worm Quest, as not only is the Host this time around far less idealistic than the the previous one when the story begins due to her prior experiences of repeating the same loop over and over without success, making the possibility of her succeeding in her mission look more out of reach as time went on, but the circumstances of the setting makes the overall situation come across as all the more horrifying and bleak.
• Defeat Equals Friendship: The American Magical Girls join our protagonists in the fight against Walpurgisnacht after they are defeated in the mock fight between the two groups.
• The Determinator: The most prominent trait of Homura, for better or for worse. It is to such an extent that she legitimately doesn't understand it when someone does give up on something.
• Diabolus ex Machina: Together with Consensus, Homura has come up with a good plan to get a (not-yet magical girl) Nagisa Momoe to make a better Wish than canon and then get her to meet with Mami so they can make bond, meaning that the latter won't meet Madoka and Sayaka and get them to contract with Kyubey as a result. Unfortunately, the very moment they meet Nagisa at the hospital, she's already contracted and her mother dies in her bed.
• Dissonant Serenity: As noted by the narrative, Kaylee is voice stays calm and polite even when she's practically splitting her face in half.
• Experienced Protagonist: By the start of this Quest, Homura has been dealing with magic, other Magical Girls, and Witches for years (for forty-two loops to be exact) and shows repeatedly that she's no amateur when it comes to the having to deal with these things, an aspect that is reflected in the game mechanics themselves as she also gets have more than one vote on what action to take when in combat much earlier than her predecessor did. This is one of many things that differentiates her from Taylor.
• Eyes Do Not Belong There: Keiko's opinion on her Dopple form, since these set of eyes are EVERYWHERE on her person.
  Keiko: People weren’t meant to see in every direction!
• Fighting Spirit: Later in the Quest, Homura obtains her own personal Guardian Entity known as Form of Soul. It takes the appearance of an older Homura wearing a witch's hat, which has a spinning record as its brim and has its own set of unique forms.
• Genre Shift: The setting has changed from Science Fiction Superhero Literature to an Darker and Edgier Magical Girl Anime.
• Get Out!: Amy of all people tells this to Loyalty after the latter reminds Taylor that she's the ex-Host of Consensus.
• Good Is Not Nice: Homura, naturally. What else do you expect from an Dark Is Not Evil Byronic Heroine with No Social Skills?
• Gondor Calls for Aid:
  • When asking Loyalty where they can ask for help against the Queen of Witches, the Concept overseeing this particular Quest gives out emails that point to two different Magical Girl groups from America, one of which is called The West Coast Arcane Alliance and the other known as The Ladies In Exile.
  • In the epilogue, Homura is able to summon Taylor and her group to deal with the Incubator invasion on the world.
• Greater-Scope Paragon: Loyalty, who is the one to empower Homura and allow Consensus to connect to her for this Quest.
• Heroic Host: Through Taylor's magic, Homura and Madoka temporarily become this to their future counterparts in order to destroy the Incubator invasion.
• Hero of Another Story:
  • As noted by on this page, Taylor's adventures never stopped after her Quest ended. Before being contacted again by Consensus, she and her harem has been to countless, different universes and acting as an cross between a really invasive charity and a mega corporation.
  • The West Coast Arcane Alliance and The Ladies In Exile both qualify as well, seeing as they both are established groups of Magical Girls who very likely had adventures and been in similar situations to Homura's own group before the three ever met to deal with Walpurgisnacht.
  • Very early in the Quest, Homura meets Magical Girl named Ayaka: a grown woman whose managed to live up to an age completely unheard in this world. She's dead under unknown circumstances.
  • As shown in the epilogue there are countless of magical girls, both in the past and in current day, all over the world, who are just now letting themselves be known.
• History Repeats: Once again, Consensus' parting gift is a necklace of memories with an inscription, the Hitchhikers Book by Zelretch Schweinorg, and a hug from them.
• Implacable Woman: What Kaylee's magic turns her into.
  Kaylee: I pick someone to protect or kill...and I get whatever I need to do it. And I don’t stop. Ever.
• I Think You Broke Him: Homura's opinion of Mami after telling her the Awful Truth.
  Homura: ...What did I do!?
• Irony: After revealing the existence of Magical Girls, Homura, the resident Time Master, doesn't have enough time in her life.
• Let's You and Him Fight: In order to convince the American magical girls of their claims about Walpurgisnacht and all that entails of her coming, our protagonists have a sparring match with the foreigners...all twenty five of them.
• Like Brother and Sister: As the other ex-Host of Consensus, Taylor very vocally considers Homura her sister and supports her as best as possible.
• Living Emotional Crutch: After an series of unfortunate events, Homura of all people becomes this to Mami after the latter learns the truth about Magical Girls. While totally off-put by this intentionally, Homura does her best to be there as Mami's friend.
  Your devotion acts as her beacon in her despair. By your goals she sets her own, by your desires she shall act, desperate to rid herself of the guilt of her petty inadequacies.
• Marathon Boss: Walpurgisnacht, who, on top of being just as absurd as in canon, the simulation reveals that Wally has FIVE layers one has to get through in order to take it down.
  • Layer One is essentially one huge damage sponge with a time limit. This is actually the easiest of the forms to fight.
  • Layer Two is Catarina The Great, who sweeps the entire battlefield with horrifying blizzards to literally freeze her opponents to death.
  • Layer Three is Boudica, riding a huge chariot covered in spikes. She's fast as all get out, has a small army of incredibly dangerous familiars, and is somehow even more of a damage sponge than the prior forms.
  • Layer Four is Cleopatra, who also has an army of familiars, but the worst thing about her is her Power Copying ability. She can copy any magic used against her.
  • Layer Five is basically a mountain, to the point where the only option is to jump inside of it and kill its core. The core is also a formidable combatant, and more like a magical girl than a witch.
• More Dakka: After figuring out how to add her Purification Fire to her weapons, Homura does NOT pull any punches when trying to kill of the core Walpurgisnacht, using every single gun she has destroy it.
• My God, What Have I Done?: After learning the truth of the Magical Girl System, Mami remembers the seven girls she got to contract with Kyubey and trained as Magical Girls, realizing the damnation she just sentenced them to thanks to what eventually happens to an Magical Girl. Homura also gets hit with this when she gets a front seat to what this revelation immediately does the Mami.
• N.G.O. Superpower: The International Meguca Sisterhood, formed after the existence of Magical Girls is revealed to the world at large.
• No Social Skills: To the point that the girl herself lampshades this unfortunate part of her personality thanks to going through so many loops. Already being a Shrinking Violet way before she contracted and became a Magical Girl, Homura clearly has great trouble socializing with her peers both in and out of dealing with MG business, more often than not hitting a wall when it comes to dealing with others in emotional distress of various kinds. The fact that she resorts to Brutal Honesty at these times do not help get on people's good side. She does try and get better at this as time goes on.
• "Not So Different" Remark: Loyalty admits that her father, Arrogance, tends to play favorites due to only following the stories of people that are actually important in the grand scheme of things...something Homura can honestly relate to.
• Now What?: Homura, naturally, has one after FINALLY defeating Walpurgisnacht after so long. She even compares herself to a dog when it finally catches the car it been chasing over and over again.
• No, You: Taylor does this to a demon she's fighting, when it calls her an abomination and threatens to destroy her. Also counts as an Pre-Mortem One-Liner since she straight up erases said demon after saying this.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: At the behest of Consensus, Homura pretends to be a Magical Girl who just got her powers when she first meets Mami in order to get on the latter's good side earlier than she otherwise would have, as previous timelines have shown. this facade gets completely dropped when the two go to Asunaro.
• Official Couple: Homura and Madoka have become this by the start of the epilogue.
• Offscreen Moment of Awesome: The Ladies In Exile defeating the fourth stage of Walpurgisnacht, Cleopatra VII Philopator herself, but Homura isn't there to witness it.
• Oh, Crap!: Homura gives out quite the big one after Kaylee manages to cut through her...during the time stop.
• Older Than They Look: Much attention is focused on how much old and weary Homura is getting from looping so much for the sake of her mission. The Form of Soul even reflects her true age at time of place this Quest takes place in.
  Keiko (in her Doppel form): Your soul is so much older than ours.
• Post-Victory Collapse: Homura after defeating Kaylee as a result of using really powerful yet draining magic to win the mock battle.
• Pre-Mortem One-Liner: Averted by Homura just as she kills Walpurgisnacht because the latter is just apart of an simulation, and thus, it'd be pointless to say anything in the end.
• Previous Player-Character Cameo: Through Loyalty, Consensus is able to contact Taylor again near the end of this Quest.
• Shut Up, Hannibal!: When the black-skinned Incubator tries to do some Evil Gloating, Taylor simply pops it out of existence.
• Slasher Smile: Kaylee has the habit of giving these out whenever she activates her magic, with her face practically splitting in two during a fight.
• Stuff Blowing Up: Exaggerated IN SPACE! Courtesy of future!Homura and future! Madoka.
• Summon Bigger Fish: Through the use of her second True Wish, Homura is able summon Taylor and her harem to deal with the Incubator invasion... who precedes to summon Homura and Madoka from the future.
• Super-Empowering: After defeating the Walpurgisnacht simulation, Homura is rewarded with an new ability known as Aspect Lending. When Homura provides some her soul's power, the power will 'ping' off of the intended recipient's Karmic Destiny and act as a multiplier. Additionally, the aspect they receive will not be identical to the one Homura gives, instead also having this multiplier applied to them alongside the hypothetical circumstance through which they might gain the aspect on their own. Homura uses this to turn Madoka and Sayaka into magical girls.
• Super Mode: After Homura makes the TrueWish, everyone magical girl now is capable of making use of their respective Dopple after having enough Grief to transform.
• Tears of Joy: Homrua lets out these along with Mirthless Laughter when she wakes up after beating the Walpurgisnacht simulation, proving that she is strong enough to beat it after so many losses in so many timelines. She does so again after securing the help of the WCAA, though this time without the laughter and much more quietly.
• Through His Stomach: Homura's method of choice when she first meets Kyoko in this timeline in order to recruit her, bringing a picnic basket as a sign of friendliness towards the agressive girl.
• Thousand-Yard Stare: Mami has a disturbing case of this after the discovering the disturbing revelations of being a Magical Girl that were hidden from her. The intense Dull Eyes of Unhappiness she gets from this completely unnerves Homura since this is all directed at her the whole way through as they go back home. She is able to recover from this...more or less.
• Time Master: Thanks to the upgrades provided by Consensus, Homura has much more control over her time magic than her canon self, now being able to slow down or speed up in addition to already having the ability to stop time altogether and hit the Reset Button, and can even see through time itself whenever she deems it necessary. Her status as this was most prominently shown through the ever-escalating situation that occurs in Asunaro. Using the Form of Soul takes Homura's status as this trope up to eleven.
• Underestimating Badassery: Julia dismissing Madoka from the gecko is what eventually leads to her death.
• Ungrateful Bastard: How Loyalty views Taylor, due to the latter wanting nothing to do with the Concepts anymore even though THEY were the ones to empower her in the first place.
• The Unmasqued World: The epilogue explores a world post-Magical Girl reveal and the impact such information has on the world at large.
• Victory Is Boring: The reason why Loyalty doesn't just snap her fingers and make every better? She's already done it countless times and realized how unfulfilling it was after a while.
  Loyalty: That's what you think my motivation is?!? To...to...ARGH! Why would I want to stop you?! Homura and Madoka are just the cutest couple! I could fix all of this world's problems in an instant. It would be as simple as willing Entropy to not happen! And you know what? I HAVE! Hundreds of Thousands of times I've swept in and saved the day! Rewarded Loyalty in all its forms, ensured that it wins the day...But I can't always do it. What would be the point? Papa let me learn this lesson myself. What use is victory without the struggle? What use is power without the experience to use it? Would you have prefered if Papa had swept in last time at the beginning and granted Taylor access to everything? What would have happened? Do you think she would have been happy? No. I am not your enemy,(a specific commenter). I am your facilitator of Salvation! That you do not like my methods simply shows the smallness of your perception!
• Wreathed in Flames: Kyoko achieves this status, becoming a living inferno whenever she activates her Doppel form, which includes an giant Cool Horse.
• Your Soul Is Mine!: Homura is an heroic example. Thanks to having the ability to 'shatter' the Soul Gems of other Magical Girls, she can obtain the Wishes of those very ones she sacrifices, which includes the Aspects that branch off of them. Since this also results in Homura obtaining the powers and abilities of those same Soul Gems, this crosses over into Soul Power.

The Familiar of Zero/Zero no Tsukaima

• A-Cup Angst: Louise, naturally. The minute Consensus mentions upgrades to her, Louise's eyes began moving down to her own petite chest before snapping back up. It also comes up when she's embraced by the well endowed Kirche.
• Adipose Rex: King James Tudor of Albion is describe as an girthy, mountain of a man. When Steve first meets him, he(and most likely everyone else in the room) could feel the ground shake with every step the ruler takes.
• Adventurer Archaeologist: Gustav's stock and trade.
• Aerith and Bob: In an Medieval European Fantasy world filled with Overly Long Names, the first Pattern she summons for her future army is named...Steve.
• Aggressive Negotiations: The conversation between Louise and Matilda about the latter giving the former her services has them pointing their wands at each other during the entire discussion.
• Almighty Mom: Even after leading her army to victory over the Reconquista twice over, Louise still has a amount healthy fear of her mother and how she would react to certain things Louise has involved herself in.
• Apologises a Lot: Colette, whenever she messes up.
• An Arm and a Leg: Scath loses an hand while retrieving the Ring of Andvari from Cromwell. Thankfully, he gets better.
• Anger Born of Worry: Kirche and Tabitha practically wear this trope on their skins when they discover Louise is going to the Albion, fearing greatly for her safety.
• The Anticipator: Thanks to her "Master of the Skies" advancement, Lynnette is an master of aerial warfare who is able to predict and counter any move her enemy makes, easily adjusting to any unexpected developments on the fly.
• The Archmage: Those who are in the Mu-Com-S and are capable of using magic tend to become this upon being inducted.
  • Louise, being a Void Mage, is this by default. It has been specially stated that her element allows her to manipulate the very building blocks that make up the world itself.
  • Henrietta, due to her bloodline connecting directly to Brimir himself, is capable of wielding five elements, making the princess the world's first Star Mage.
  • Tabitha is also a Star Mage, and due to her element of ice being so strong even before being inducted, her ice magic is now considered SIX stacked elements.
  • Since being inducted, Kirche is capable of using use fire magic far beyond all but the most powerful of mages in all of Halkeginia.
• Arranged Marriage: Apparently, Kirche was previously engaged to an elder noble who was four times her age. It got called off when her to-be-husband didn’t like how Kirche refused to keep herself "pure".
• Assassin Outclassin': Connie manages to thwart an assassination attempt on King James by Sheffield before chasing her down.
• Awesomeness by Analysis: Thorough the ability known as "Research", Louise has the ability to scan and forge objects, something that will increase in range and quality as time goes on.
• Authority Equals Asskicking: Steve. His status of "First Among Equals" is even an Invoked Trope as the more subordinates he has, the stronger he gets.
• Badass Army: This is the main premise of this particular version. Instead of solely powering up Louise herself, she must make, maintain, and upgrade an army through the Conceptual Foundry.
• Badass Boast: Louise, needing to get her mother to listen to a much needed Infodump, delivers one to Karin after summoning a Dot Mage.
  Louise: This is what I have to tell you, Mother. I am a Void Mage, capable of casting spells that can devastate armies. My familiar is a spirit capable of creating men and women, animals and weapons, soldiers and mages, all of whom are entirely loyal to myself alone. In two weeks Albion will fall to rebels who will set their gazes on Tristain next. My best friend is to be married off to the pig that sits on Germania’s throne for an alliance that we no longer need. Please, Mother, we know how absurd this all is but can you simply listen to us!
• Badass Bookworm: Louise. Already acing all of her studies at school, one of the two advancements she gained after binding Consensus is "Student of Magecraft" due to having studied magical theory so extensively before the summoning ever occurred.
  • Freya, the Heroic Triangle Mage Seneschal Natural Philosopher, also fits the bill.
• Being Good Sucks: It is really hard being someone who just wants to help as Benevolence will attest to.
• Benevolent A.I.: The Mu-Com-S, named Colette. Her main goal first and foremost is to make sure Louise leads a happy and fruitful life.
• Berserker Tears: Louise, after learning that that Wardes is apart of Reconquista, is crying while destroying trees in the forest.
• The Big Damn Kiss: Siesta delivers Steve his First Kiss right before he and the fire team go on their first adventure.
• Big "NO!": Louise lets one out while still being in denial about being a Void Mage.
• Black Cloak: Scáth wears a black cloak that makes him sound unnatural to better fit the image Louise has of an master assassin.
• Black Widow: During the sabotage of the Reconquista's siege forces in Albion, one the female assassins in Scáth's band is accosted by a man who wouldn’t take no for an answer. She decides to acquiesced to his demands before sticking him with a poison that kills him in his sleep.
• Blood Knight: Derflinger's reaction to the completely mad shitstorm he's being pulled into? Whether or not there will be stabbing involved. When Steve confirms so, the talking sword is gleeful.
• Bodyguarding a Badass: All summons, from regular humans to dragons, first and foremost hold Louise's wants, needs, and safety first and foremost. Their summoner just so happens to be one of the extremely rare and powerful Void mages of Halkeginia.
  • Kirche and Tabitha go with Louise to Albion to make sure she doesn't get hurt or killed while she deals with the threat there.
• Bond Creatures: Besides all of the other familiars shown in this world, Consensus's shards go into Louise's body after completing the familiar summoning ritual, allowing their relationship to become fully symbiotic at that point.
• Break the Haughty: Arrogant, swaggering, and two-timing Guiche is reduced to tears after being defeated by Steve in their duel.
• The Captain: Raphael Valentine, of The Void Whisper.
• Casting a Shadow: Corvid is able to go between locations in minutes at most due to having the ability dive and come out of the shadows of different places and areas.
• Cat Girl: The kind of avatar Consensus chooses to have, naming her Connie.
• The Champion: As her very first summon, the first ascended human, and the commander of the first company, Steve is this to Louise.
• The Chains of Commanding: Consensus speculates that this could be the reason for King James's attitude while meeting Steve. He's been facing down a rebellion that has killed most if not all of his closest confidants and friends, and at this point, wants nothing but to spill the blood of the rebels to avenge what he has lost.
• Childhood Friends: Louise and Henrietta are the first friends the other has made when they first met as children and still have a strong bond ever after years of not seeing each other.
• Classical Elements Ensemble: The first fire team fits this to a T, with Elaine being a fire mage​, Anton being a earth mage​, Noe being a ​ water mage, and Lea being a air mage.
• Combat Pragmatist: Consensus and Colette are very encouraging of this mindset for Louise, making it clear there is a difference between fighting your enemy and destroying them.
• Comes Great Responsibility: Louise is fully aware and committed to her duty as a noble to the crown, her family, and her people. Steve also believes in this wholeheartedly.
  Steve: It is the right of the noble, after all, to rule, just as it is the right of the peasant to be ruled well.
• Contrasting Sequel Main Character: Even more so than previously, due to our current protagonist having radically different circumstances than her both of her predecessors, since, unlike Taylor and Homura, Louise isn't an Ordinary High-School Student on Earth, but is a Blue Blood that comes a very prestigious family that goes to a Wizarding School in a Standard Fantasy Setting.
  • Specifically for the more recent quests, the Hot-Blooded, pink haired noble Louise is replacing The Stoic, Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette middle-schooler Homura. Both are in different ways estranged from their respective families, but while Homura's were more or less irrelevant to the over-arching plot, the Vallières are major players in the ongoing storyline of this Quest. Both were already magic users before meeting Consensus, but while Homura was a Time Master who later on gained the ability to switch between different Wishes and Aspects, thus gaining new abilities and magics to use, Louise is an Inept Mage at the start due to not knowing that she had The Power of the Void and now is building up and empowering her very own army.
• Consummate Liar: Wardes is only truthful around 95% of time, much to Louise's irritation and frustration.
• Cool Airship: The Void Whisper, a Heroic Third-rate - later First-rate - Airship that can move faster than any other ship of its kind.
• Cool Big Sis: Cattleya proves the very kind, supportive, and helpful elder sibling to Louise at every turn. She is also extremely distressed at how hurt Louise is getting from their mother's training, sadly relenting at Louise's refusal to give up.
• Cooldown Hug: Kirche holds Louise in her arms as the latter cries after executing Wardes.
• Crazy Enough to Work: During his duel with Karin, Steve, using Derflinger, jumps inside her spell to absorb it from the within.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: The canon duel with Guiche ends goes completely in Steve's favor the whole way through.
  • Steve himself is on the receiving end of this during his duel with Karin, although is able to hold his own better than most.
• Curb-Stomp Cushion: While they suffer some losses, Louise's army completely overwhelm the rebels at the Second Battle of Newcastle. Her forces manage to pull this off once again in the Third Battle of Newcastle, even though the Reconquista's reinforcements were much bigger than the previous army.
• The Cynic: Lynette how a low opinion of people who aren't Louise or her fellow summons.
  Lynette: People will always want things, get scared, be angry...when those people lead others, you get a war. It’s simple philosophical logistics. Lords and kings waging war for their own ends with those that they rule over being the swords they wield.
• Dark Comedy: In-Universe, Louise finds the idea of stabbing Wardes in the groin multiple times with a rusty knife morbidly amusing.
• Dark Is Not Evil: Corvid is very clearly as creature of the shadows and just as devoted to Louise and her cause as any other summon.
• Dead Man Writing: The first page of the Founder’s Prayer's Book has Brimir's last message, officially naming the first one to be able to read it his heir. Said person is Louise.

"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 “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.
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.
Know that I am Brimir Ru Rumiru Yuru Viri Vee Varutori. And by blood and fate I name you my inheritor."
* Decomposite Character: 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 Gandalfr.

• Death Glare: This is Karin Désirée de Maillart's default expression, though is capable of emphasizing it to devastating effect. This is first shown when Henrietta, the resident tough royal of this questline, finds herself stopped in her tracks and visibly shocked when facing down Karin's glare.
• Did You Think I Can't Feel?: Consensus accidentally offends Colette when they bring up some "implications" about summons that will be called forth. An irritated Colette assures them that Patterns won't be stolen or kidnapped from anywhere, before sarcastically asking if they would prefer if they send in ACTUAL people instead of the ones that will be created. Consensus apologizes for not asking her about it first.
• Distracted by the Sexy: Exploited by Kirche in order to keep Osmond's attention away from Louise's negotiations with Matilda.
  Kirche: Pfft! That was easy, the old man went crazy for a giggle and a bit of skin.
  • In fact, one of her first advancements, "Lady In Red", grants Kirche immense skill in seduction and supernatural beauty.
• Dysfunction Junction: Lampshaded by Louise herself, who comes to realize all four Void mages who inherited Brimir's magic are messed in one way or another, which she speculates that each of their lives may have broken in some aspect by the Void element they each hold as it had been shattered by Brimir himself. This includes:
  • A formerly Inept Mage who has a severe case of the Inferiority Superiority Complex after spending so much of her life failing in wielding magic.
  • A Heroic Bastard half-elf currently trying to run a Orphanage of Love in a nation being torn apart by a Civil War.
  • An Evil Overlord backing said civil war mentioned above who also happens to be a Straw Nihilist.
  • A Sinister Minister who's willing to manipulate and commit genocide to avoid him and his Cult of Personality getting caught up in the upcoming Apocalypse How.
• Does Not Know His Own Strength: The first time Louise actually uses her Void spells proper in a forest, she stumbles back from the sheer power behind them.
• Dude, Where's My Respect?: As Steve has observed, despite being the youngest child of the well-known and powerful Vallières, she isn't respected too much. This is due to the fact that every spell she casted up until summoning Consensus and Colette ended in an explosion.
• Energy Beings: This is the form Consensus takes a Louise's familiar, with shards and a nucleus-like center of different, shifting colors. After officially being bonded to Louise, those shards are absorbed into Louise's body, leaving behind just a small orb.
• Expressive Accessory: The cat ears and tail are actually accessories that react to Connie's emotions.
• Fake Ultimate Hero: Downplayed; Brimir 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 had to learn how to use Void magic from scratch.
• Fantastic Rank System: Unlike previous Hosts, Louise's successes in combat and mission completion will cause in increase in rank, receiving a single advancement per rank increase. She starts off at Tenth Rank Leader.
• Fire/Ice Duo: Kirche (Fire) and Tabitha (Ice) have had this dynamic long before joining Louise. In fact, the first advancements - The Ardent and The Hailstorm respectively - they got when inducted into her army made this relationship go up to eleven.
• Fluffy the Terrible: The System Core of the Multiverse Command System, a weapon of war on a multiverse level designed to facilitate the creation and command of armies at that scale, has been named Colette.
• Foil: As the other major tenant by Louise's side, Colette is this to Consensus; the former is eloquent, soft-spoken, rational, and amateurish, while the latter tends to be blunt, out-spoken, emotional, and experienced.
  • 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, SBers are involved. Though it does allow them to come up with tactics that wouldn't normally be considered.
• The Fog of Ages: Since Derflinger is a relic of Brimir himself, meaning he's about six thousand years old. Naturally, this means his memories of certain things are more than a bit sketchy.
• Formula-Breaking Episode:
  • 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.
• Freaky Is Cool: Headmaster Osmand likes his unusualities. As one of the most experienced mages you can hope to find, there are few things that he hasn't seen or experienced. So, something new like Consensus and Colette or a Rhyme Dragon will certainly lighten his day.
• Friend-or-Idol Decision: The reason why Steve is so insecure about pursuing a relationship with Siesta: if there is ever a choice between her or Louise, he knows for a fact he will always choose the latter and is absolutely full of anguish because of this knowledge. Thankfully, Louise being Louise, has chosen to Take a Third Option.
• Genre Shift: This time, the primary story of the Quest has transitioned from a Darker and Edgier Magical Girl Anime to the typical Standard Fantasy Setting Light Novel.
• A God I Am Not: When Louise questions if she and Consensus are gods, Colette swiftly and obtusely denies having any divinity.
• Good Bad Girl: Kirche, full stop. Her arranged marriage got called off by her to-be-husband due to her refusing to stop her Really Gets Around 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 Louise inducts her into her army despite the previous bad blood between the two girls and the bitter history between their families.
• Good Smoking, Evil Smoking: During his first meeting with Consensus and Colette, Headmaster Osmond takes out an Distinguished Gentleman's Pipe and takes a puff before beginning the conversation proper.
• Greater-Scope Paragon: This time, Benevolence is the greatest power behind our heroine Consensus, with adding Colette to the mix as well.
• Group Hug: Consensus secretly arranges for themselves, Rowan, Kirche, and Tabitha to give Louise one to help her deal with killing her traitorous fiancee. It works.
• Grow Beyond Their Programming: Word of God states that this unintentionally happened to Colette. She was supposed to be just Ms Exposition and answer questions the players had for her, but interactions with the former caused the GM to accidentally give her a personality of her own.
• Heroic BSoD:
  • Louise has quite the big one during her first private conversation with Consensus, where she learns exactly WHY she's been having so much trouble with her magic.
  • She gets an even worse one when she is informed of Wardes being apart of Reconquista.
• Hidden Villain: Apparently, there's a "Foe" that is also backed by a Concept and a goal that is unknown to Louise and Consensus.
• High-Altitude Battle: The Void Whisperer gets into one with Brimir’s Thunder during the Second Battle of Newcastle.
• Hope Spot: Louise gets one when she selects her first advancement, thinking she can now cast magic as well as her classmates. That hope get literally blown up in her face.
• Honor Before Reason: 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 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 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 Albion will be dealing with a severe Succession Crisis caused by the Half-Breed Discrimination that will no doubt result from Tiffania's claim to the throne, which will more likely than not led to another Civil War. On a more personal level, Wales' death-before-dishonor approach causes no end of distress for his lover, Henrietta, never-mind how badly 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 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 actually understand his actions.
• Humiliation Conga: As a result of his cheating, Guiche gets bitch-slapped by the girl he was cheating with, gets humiliated by the girl he was cheating on, then gets into a one-sided duel in the favor of the "commoner" he challenged.
• I Just Want to Be Normal: Louise's deepest wish? To simply properly cast magic like her classmates. Too bad The Multiverse has much bigger plans for her.
• I'll Kill You!: Louise flat outs to Kirche that if she tell anybody what occurred in the forest, she'll have Elaine burn her to ash... if, she doesn't get to her first.
• Implausible Deniability: Louise, after being explained just how and why she's being having so many problems with her magic casting. Justified, since, as she points out in her panicking state, there has not been a Void Mage for six thousand years, almost every piece of knowledge has been lost since those all of those millennia, to the point that there isn't a single spell recorded that Brimir used.
• Inadequate Inheritor: After reading his own words that states that she's the heir to his deeds, thoughts objectives, and power, Louise is genuinely terrified that she's this to Brimir, feeling her only worth is that she's "useful" for creating armies.
• Incoming Ham:
  • Captain Raphael Valentine introduces himself to his mistress and her underlings in the most fabulous way possible.
  • Gustav makes his overwhelming presence known the second he was summoned.
• I Need a Freaking Drink: Louise chooses to cope with the date she is on with her traitor of a fiancee with wine. Lots of wine.
  Colette: Director, I cannot purge your body of intoxicants until you have access to the Metaphorical Armour. Please, remain alert.
  Louise: Shut up Colette.
• Inferiority Superiority Complex: Louise does an excellent job hiding her severe, crippling Heroic Self-Deprecation behind a haughty mask of Blue Blood Pride.
• Insult Backfire: How Louise is starting to view her Embarrassing Nickname since it ties perfectly with her element.
• Internal Reveal:
  • Louise is the one to inform Henrietta about Wardes's betrayal.
  • As recompense for revealing to Louise about her familiar being a Rhyme Dragon, Consensus reveals to Tabitha about the existence of Josette, her secret twin sister.
• It Amused Me: The reason why Kirche indulges to the bimbo image that she presents?
  Kirche: As for your question: it’s more fun this way.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: 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 a part of her inner circle.
• Kick the Dog: Louise, when going to the forest to blow off steam after learning of Wardes's betrayal, does this in the following exchange when Kirche bumps into her during this state
  Kirche: You’re in an awful rush, Louise, going to find your lover- I mean valet? Where is Steve anyway?
  Louise: Don’t you have a kennel of philanderer’s to concern you, Zerbst? It shocks me that you even have the time to speak poison about the lives of others with all the time you must spend on your knees.
• Kidnapped by the Call: Averted. Colette assures that no summon will be stolen or kidnapped from their place of origin.
• Kleptomaniac Hero: Matilda was a very infamous thief before the start of this quest and is now under the employ of our heroine.
• Large Ham: Whenever he's on deck and steering his ship, be prepared for Raphael Valentine to shouts from within the heavens he's taken flight in.
  • You'd be press to find a moment when Gustav isn't shouting at the top of his lungs.
• Living Lie Detector: The Truthseeker's Ring turns Louise into one - giving her the ability to tell whether or not someone is being truthful or even genuine just by their facial expressions.
• Magical Accessory: Whenever Louise requests an Void Artifact to be summoned, they usual take the form of really fashionable wears and jewelry. A standout example is The Homely Heart - a silver necklace with a golden heart locket on its chain, which, by putting some dirt inside the locket, allows teleportation to that dirt's location from anywhere.
• Magic Eater:
  • Derflinger is capable of absorbing any magical spell he comes in contact with.
  • The Heiress' Gloves are a 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.
• Mama Bear: Karin is (calmly) furious when she misunderstands Henrietta's suggestion of Louise going to Albion during its Civil War by herself.
• Manipulative Editing: Colette does a self-inflicted example: at the suggestion of Consensus, Colette is able to pick and choose the words from various messages Consensus has sent and use the editing to talk outloud.
  Colette (externally): We are Consen- Time. Time. Ti. Ime. I I’m. I. I. I. I am....I am Colette.
• Meaningful Name: Corvid, which is the name of the first animal hero summon and is a crow, can be interpreted as "a bird of the crow family".
• Mid-Season Upgrade: Fireteam One gain their own, personal magic staffs and Rhyme Dragons during the Albion campaign.
• Might Makes Right: If you ask Colette, the true glory of being recognized as a hero comes from the defeat and death of your enemies no matter the method used.
  Colette: Glory comes from victory, Director. It comes from the death of your enemies by any means necessary. And when you stand over their broken ambitions, shattered armor and look down on their hopeless faces; that is when you are raised to the heights of heroism.
• Mirthless Laughter: Louise, when being informed that she's a Void Mage.
• Motive Rant: Wardes gives one to Louise went she finally confronts him on his betrayal.
  Louise: HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?! BETRAY YOUR KINGDOM! BETRAY ME!
  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: FLARE!
• My God, What Have I Done?: Kirche gets this when Louise is shouting at her face for her role in making her school life miserable. To her credit, she sincerely apologizes for completely reading their relationship wrong and is determined to reconcile with Louise.
• My Master, Right or Wrong: As summed up by Steve: if Louise ever asked him to kill Sieta, he would do so without any outward complaint.
• My Sister Is Off-Limits: When Consensus suggests the possibly of introducing Steve to Cattleya for an Arranged Marriage, Louise is immediately and extremely offended at the very thought of doing such.
• Nature Tinkling: During their first official quest, Steve and the first fire team witness an orc relieving itself in a river that the locals drink from.
• Negated Moment of Awesome: Any 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.
• Not So Stoic:
  • As observed by Louise and Corvid, Tabitha is much more expressive and intense than her usual expressionless face indicates.
  • Lynette, who has been presented as an ferociously aloof borderline cold figure, bursts out in laughter when Louise asks if she would be able to defeat twelve enemy airships with another five first-rate ships added to her forces.
• Oh, Crap!:
  • Louise, after finding out the truth of her magic.
  • Louise gets another one when she realizes that she has to inform her mother aka Karin the Heavy Wind about her situation...and immediately gets another when she realizes that she might actually need her training.
  • Rowan gets this when she reads from stolen letters that there will be reinforcements coming to Newcastle just hours after Louise and her army just finished defeating the forces there.
  • Kirche gets this when she realizes what Karin's reaction to Louise's personal and professional relationship with a daughter of the Zerbst family.
  Kirche: Well, its been very nice knowing you Louise but perhaps it is best if I leave...
• One-Woman Army: Tabitha manages to curb-stomp her way through a whole squad of triangle mages when escaping with her healed mother.
• Only Sane Man: Louise comes to the realization that she's this among the Void Mages, which why she was likely the one chosen to be the one to obtain the Mu-Com-S since the other options are a bastard half elf, a maddened king, or a unholy crusader pope.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: When asked by Louise what she meant about training exercise, the normally informative and accommodating Colette 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.
• Our Homunculi Are Different: The beings that will make up army that Louise heads aren't summoned from different places, but are outright created through the magic of the MuComS.
• Outside-Genre Foe: Consensus and Colette more or less come across as an Sufficiently Advanced Alien, something that really sticks out in the Medieval European Fantasy setting of The Familiar of Zero.
• Overly Long Name: Louise Françoise Leblanc de La Vallière is but the first of many.
• Oxymoronic Being: How Louise is starting to view herself these days. Having been the greatest failure of the Vallière family in the eyes of many for so long, she now essentially has unlimited power as a magus of the Void element and mistress of an ever-evolving and undying army. Naturally, these two facts create quite the juxtaposition for her self-image.
  • During the first face to face conversation with her, Benevolence herself summaries Louise as "a series of dichotomies".
• Parents as People: Karin de la Vallière is described as such by Consensus when trying to aid Louise navigate and understand her mother and their complex relationship.
  Consensus: Your mother loves you. 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.
• Parental Neglect: Kirche is just one of many daughters of her family, and with her father already having his heir, she is more or less as an bargaining chip by him without much concern on who she is as a person.
• Pest Controller: 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. And then one of each group gains self-awareness...
• Pet the Dog: When one of Louise's usual bullies try to put her down as usual, Kirche is quick to defend her.
• Poor Communication Kills: The reason why the relationship between Louise and Kirche got so toxic. Due to their families being enemies, Kirche was content with simply ignoring Louise for their time together at school, but Louise being Louise after a poor encounter, is the one who indulged in the family feuding with Kirche. Seeing and enjoying the fire Louise displayed in that encounter, Kirche decided to indulge in it as well, thinking that's what Louise actually wanted. This resulted in Kirche becoming unintentionally The Face of all the mockery Louise faced at school, with her giving the nickname Louise the Zero.
• Precision F-Strike: Louise drops the F-bomb three times over at Consensus when they start rambling about the wonders of rain... while Louise is running through a rain storm in the morning.
• Pretty Princess Powerhouse: 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.
• Privilege Makes You Evil: Matilda aka Fouquet certainly thinks so, telling Louise that all nobles are petty and cruel people who just use others.
• Properly Paranoid: Before telling her about the true history of Brimir, Consensus advises Louise not to share any of this with anyone, unless she can completely trust that person and that there is no chance of someone overhearing them, and to not write anything down. Considering how much of is revealed about how much current, worldwide information and common knowledge is Based on a Great Big Lie and is a Dark Secret, this level of caution is understandable.
• Purple Prose: Auster, the Heroic Wind Spirit, gleefully and frequently engages in this, much to the annoyance of Louise.
• Quantity vs. Quality: 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.
• Real-Time Strategy: What the central core mechanics are for this incarnation, with Louise's main focus being building and controlling an army and guiding it in battle.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Duke de La Vallière, while very hesitant, is willing support Louise in the case she is shown to prove herself capable of handling her growing power.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Steve lays the fuck into Guiche for his cheating ways before and during their duel.
• Red Baron: Louise's designated title for this Quest is "The Director".
  • Matilda de Sachsen-Gotha is more commonly known as Fouquet of the Crumbling Earth.
• Ring of Power: Louise's requests for Colette to summon artifacts for particular tasks tends to take the form of these:
  • The Truthseeker's Ring: a ring capable of detecting lies, dishonest body language and more.
  • Anneatné: a navy blue ring lined with gold with a spherical waterstone as the focal point. It gives the wearer perfect health.
  • Black Step: a gold, silver and black ring with a braided design. It allows the user to teleport short distances.
  • The Piscines: a set of sixteen white rings veined with blue. They fortify the body, providing resistance to damage, poisons and a minor healing factor. They also have an empathetic link between each other.
• The Rival: Just like in canon, Kirche is Louise's most prominent opponent at school, with the feeling very mutual.
• Rousing Speech: Louise gives on to the first army she summons in Albion, the day before the fight against the Albion rebels.
  My people! My army. We stand now in Albion, a country filled with traitors and rebels that would extinguish our way of life! Even now they stand at the gates of Newcastle with the goal of extinguishing the line of Tudor once and for all- but we will not let them! Tonight my assassins will cut down their leadership and tomorrow you will march on an army crippled by strategy and finesse; I expect the same from each of you. Though you will not carry my name into battle, you will carry my pride and my hopes for the future! And while I cannot fight at your side, I will stand in your hearts! And we will march for a tomorrow unmarred by treachery and rebellion! For the Princess! For the King! For Albion!
• Royalty Super Power: Thanks to her Of Royal Blood trait, which is due to her direct blood connection to the Founder himself, Henrietta is capable of stacking together five elements at the same time.
• Sarcasm Mode: Basically Louise's default response to whenever Consensus goes into Servile Snarker mode.
  Consensus: (referring to the trap for 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.
• Science Hero: Freya is a scientific researcher who is the head of Louise's Research Division. Her first Advancement is even "Scientific Muse".
• Scientifically Understandable Sorcery: After gaining "Student of Magecraft", this how Louise comes to view and observed the magic of her world, now being able to see the infinitesimal tiny specks that make up the world mages manipulate.
• Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Despite the dozen of personal and political reasons their inclusion in the Albion Civil War could potentially cause, Kirche and Tabitha follow Louise to the capital Tristania in order to make sure she stays safe and sound, despite her initial wishes. They are both eventually inducted into the army despite the consequences that could potentially arise.
• Secret Test of Character: During the negotiation in the vault that holds the Staff of Destruction, Matilda deliberately pushes Louise's buttons to get a genuine reaction out of her and see what she's really after. Louise's outburst is what convinces her to pull a Heel–Face Turn.
• Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: Surprisingly enough, Tabitha of all people is this, as demonstrated through her first use of the shared telepathy when inducted. Apparently, this due to the fact that she just dislikes talking in general, which telepathy bypasses since it requires only her thought to communicate.
  Tabitha(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.
• Sharp-Dressed Man: While being discreet about it, Arthur is described as a man in high-class clothing.
• Shut Up, Hannibal!: Kirche does this on Louise's behalf, after Louise gives an excuse for Consensus's knowledge.
  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 is far more impressive than my Flame! So where does that leave you?
  Celeste: Able to actually cast spells, Kirche, unlike the Zero here!
  Kirche: And yet you barely manage to match her grades. Truly impressive.
• Silk Hiding Steel: Thy name is Henrietta de Tristain. Her genuine politeness and courtesy to all those around her belies the cunning Iron Lady ready for war if it ever comes to her kingdom's footsteps.
• Skilled, but Naive: Colette. Despite being the system itself of this quest-line, she's very inexperienced, with this adventure being her first time dealing with active combat.
• Slapstick: Invoked by Consensus when meeting Benevolence face to face for the first time, repeatedly falling off of their chair repeatedly to make Benevolence laugh.
• Slipping a Mickey: 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.
• Smarter Than You Look: As lampshaded by Colette, Kirche is much more eloquent and refined about her passionate nature than one would expect from her.
• Split Personality: Apparently, Benevolence has about four different personalities that make up her existence.
• The Spymaster: Arthur, a Heroic Seneschal Spy himself, is the head of Louise's Whisper network.
• Starter Villain: Oliver Cromwell, leader of the Reconquista, provides Louise first real challenge as an head of an army.
• The Stations of the Canon: Just like many other Familiar of Zero stories, the Quest begins during Springtime Familiar Summoning ritual.
• The Strategist: Colette is VERY ecstatic that Louise has managed to maneuver the duel with Guiche and Steve into her favor and is encouraging of her to do this more often into the future.
• Stress Vomit: Louise proceeds to empty the contents of her stomach after personally killing Wardes.
• Suddenly Shouting: The normally quiet Tabitha, with eyes full of tears, practically screams when at Louise when she deduces her planned participation in Albion and its civil war.
  Tabitha: YOU WILL NOT GO TO ALBION!
• Sufficiently Analyzed Magic: Ever since Louise obtained "Student of Magecraft", the laws of magic in the world of Familiar of Zero has gone through significant Worldbuilding, with characters in-universe giving deep explanations through how each element and spell work in context to Halkeginia.
• Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Louise in spades. It has been stated that as aloof, demanding, and cold she can be, she understands and fully believes in to the crown, her family, and her people.
  • She gets this kind personality from her mother, Karin de la Vallière. Despite having a very cold and fearsome presence, Karin very much has a softer side that loves her family deeply.
• Summoning Ritual:
  • For the first time in these Quests, Consensus is directly summoned to the Host instead of coming to her themselves.
  • The central mechanics of this particular version of Communication actually involves Louise summoning, upgrading, and directing entire units of different races known as "Patterns" that will make up an entire army.
• Sweet Polly Oliver: Before officially starting Louise's week of training, Karin gives her daughter the clothing she wore when she disguised her gender in her Backstory, Heavy Wind, the Female Knight Captain.
• Take Up My Sword: By his own hand in the first page of his Prayer's Book, Brimir has named the first one who read it, i.e. Louise, to be the one to inherit his legacy. This leaves Louise in QUITE the funk due to how much weight the meaning has.
• Tears of Joy: Tabitha runs away crying happily when Louise informs her that she can summon a mage strong enough to heal her insanity-poisoned mother.
• Tears of Remorse: Louise proceeds to cry her heart out after killing Wardes.
• That Makes Me Feel Angry: Steve needs Colette to explain just why he was so pissed at Guiche's two timing.
• These Are Things Man Was Not Meant to Know: Louise more and more is feeling this way, especially after learning about the existence of the Concepts.
• They Look Just Like Everyone Else!: Invoked by Scáth, since he wouldn't be a good assassin if he actually looked the part to people.
• This Cannot Be!: Louise's reaction when she learns that her actual Elemental Affinity is Void.
  Louise (while laughing panicky): Don’t joke like that, familiar, if I don’t have an affinity then just tell me!
• Thrill Seeker: Lynette implies that she's this in response to Rapheal wishing her to be careful.
  Lynette: That’d defeat the point Rapheal!
• Training from Hell: In order to help Louise explore her magics and have her learn some battle tactics, Karin personally spends a week training her daughter at the Vallière estate.
• Tranquil Fury: One can feel the coldness in Karin's voice when the clearly angry yet still serene matriarch misinterprets Henrietta's explaining Louise going Albion by herself.
• Undying Loyalty:
  • It has been stated by Colette that each being created and summoned will be entirely loyal to Louise.
  • Louise's loyalties will always result in her laying down her entire being if it means protecting Princess Henrietta and the crown she will inherit.
  Louise: Come hell or high water.
• Unusually Uninteresting Sight: Prince Wales' first reaction to a sleeping crow that shows up in his room with a letter that itself wrote? What an odd bird.
• We Need a Distraction: In order for Louise to end her "date" with Wardes, Kirche and Tabitha have Corvid act as an wild, random bird that literally flies into Wardes' face so Tabitha has an excuse to use her water magic to soak him and to make the knight captain leave without drawing too much suspension.
• Wham Line: In response to a casual memory from the first quest, Colette tries to reassure Louise and lets something slip accidentally out:
  Colette: Should you curbstomp your opposition there will be no consequence of that nature, it would be pointless. This is a training exercise, after all.
• What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Brought up by Consensus before Louise did her very first summon.
  • Again brought up by again in a heated discussion between Lynette and Kirche, with the former proudly considering her and her fellow summoned soldiers simply swords under the command of Louise who'll march on to their deaths without care save for the will of their mistress. Kirche sees this as a cruel way to think of yourself and others, soldiers or otherwise.
• What the Hell Are You?: So far, EVERYONE from Halkeginia's reaction to Consensus... unless your name is Osmond Longueville.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Louise lays it quite thick onto Kirche for her part in the mockery she's been subjected to from their peers at school, outright and furiously calling her out for role in exacerbating her failures to the point Louise knows for a fact that she will never be respected by the time they graduate.
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Kirche is shown to be deadly afraid of bugs of all kinds. She even suggests snakes to be used instead of them for the sabotage!
• Worthy Opponent: Kirche makes it clear that she views Louise as this.
  Kirche: I think I would rather care quite a lot if my rival up and abandoned me. Where else would I get such impassioned discourse? Montmorency? Or perhaps Delphine? Ha! Don’t make me laugh! None of them hold a candle to you!
• Yank the Dog's Chain: Louise and her army manages to defeat the enemy forces at Newcastle with minimal casualties only to find out that there are reinforcements numbering in the ten thousands set to arrive hours later.
• Younger Than They Look: They may look like grown ups, but every summon Louise creates are younger than every student at Tristan Academy.