Keep It On The Me

Kris S was a wanderer and basically had no permanent residence due to the nature of her job. She was basically hired muscle for Ramonu until the latter pointed her toward the Symbolis.

Around this time, Rudolf's standing with the old nobles was becoming precarious, and it was suggested she and the family have extra protection, just in case. Sirius typically takes care of any brewing unrest that Rudolf doesn't catch, but Kris S starts off shadowing them as a bodyguard.

I don't have Ayabe so I can't really vouch for Top Road in-game (at least until she's released in global), but I personally liked her already in RTTT. In my opinion, she gets overlooked due to Ayabe and Opera O stealing most of the attention.

For what it's worth, I think season 2 of the mainline anime does a way better job characterizing Teio and McQueen compared to the game. So if Topro feels a little surface-level, I'd probably chalk it up to her being a side character in someone else's career for now. Neither game!Teio or game!McQueen hold a candle to their animated counterparts, but it's also important to take both game and expanded material into account when having a read on a character.

In RTTT, I think Topro's story has a similar, albeit understated, current of not feeling deserving of anything bc she can't adequately "pay back" the love she's been given. It seems to me that she has a certain way of viewing that kind of support as a transactional thing, and can't really internalize the concept of it being unconditional, if she has nothing to show for it. It makes her feel like an imposter in a way that's like "the uma these people are cheering for is wearing my skin". I don't know if that makes sense, sorry. It does kind of foil Ayabe's own self-hate over her own life--a life she felt she stole from her sister.

Full disclosure is that I was partly inspired by Crooked's "Regency Wants" and Tex's "Imperial Romance" fanfics, because the fact that their monikers (and Teio's) are Emperor and Empress (and Monarch) works too damn perfectly for any setting that has nobility.

For me, they met while Rudolf was still getting over the last vestiges of mourning after the passing of Tsuyoshi's dam. By this point, Rudolf had lost two mates after being rejected/dumped by the first.

Groove is a noble (divorced with two foals) who's always been quite opinionated and has strong convictions, which drew Rudolf in because none of her previous mates were at all interested in government work and administration. Groove wasn't even actively looking into marrying again, much less the Emperor, but she did get a closer look at who Rudolf is as a person beneath the mantle.

I had to sit on this question for a bit because my first thought was "no", she doesn't seem like someone who'd enjoy having such a political position.

My boring answer is that I'm fine with how they're both the same height, but Groove's ears make her look slightly taller than Rudolf at first glance--

No ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿

You will think of Parth just like you can't stop thinking about Natural

Hmm... I don't know if I've drawn one enough times for it to count as a favorite. Each one presents a different challenge to draw in a way I feel satisfied with.

I do really enjoy making Teio's ponytail have zany angles and giving Tachyon and Cafe their respective eyebags/dark circles, though.

Yes, Rudolf is my fave on that list, Brian is cool, and Mr. CB sounds fun from what little I do know about her.

I guess my unpopular opinion is that I don't really care for Orfevre.

And I don't have a favorite Triple Tiara Uma either*. I guess the closest would be Still in Love, but it's not like, I'm rotating her in my head like I do with my actual faves. I think she's neat sure, and it's more the uniqueness of her Career and her dynamic with Admire Groove that I like.