#irakata

Originally a Valentine tag game, I think.  Is it Valentines Day?  no.  Do i care?  also no~ Thank youuu @power-of-ages-writeblr for tagging me!  I never get to answer romance questions :3c

A funny dream I had months ago of @thegeminidraws oc Rai. In canon he happens to be a great artist but... in my dream, he draws with crayon and has a fondness of turtles.

wheezes

late to post the last of the mistletoe requests but here we go.  GET WRECKED IRAAA

Originally started by @jellybeanwriter , identify your characters as members of the Five Man Band trope, then tag 5 people!  I was tagged by @power-of-ages-writeblr, hey homie~

(For those who don’t know the trope, watch an explanation by Overly Sarcastic Productions here! )

I got waaaay too into this analysis, so consider this fair warning.

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Leader:

Caecius all the way.  Not only is he the actual captain of the team, his personality has “protag syndrome” written all over it.  Even when the Clan splits with warring dynamics, his role is fairly uncontested.

Lancer:

The uh... actual protagonist of the book:  Ira.  She fits the bill as a foil, rival, partner, etc to the leader - and she’s the unstable lone wolf, as well as the prodigy glass cannon in combat.  Also the lovely center of all the Clan tensions: inspired by those that would want to see her take Caecius’ place as leader.

 As a secondary lancer, however, I also have Raicouda.  He was enough of a surly, edgy foil to Caecius... but the catch is, they never actually worked well as a team, at least until Ira came along to shuffle the board.  Now with Ira as his leader, Rai makes a great right-hand-manticore.

Heart:

This one is mostly Talon, given that he play the emotionally stable middle man between Case and Ira for most of the book(s).  He fits the role nicely - as he was Caecius’ trusted right hand man, who then fostered a close friendship with Ira to help her acclimate to her new life, and keep the Clan Betas (and the rest of the members for that matter), from tearing each other apart.  He has a foot in each corner, and more than enough compassion to go around.

A secondary heart is also sometimes seen in Arcana, whose influence and character dynamics are often not as visible.  But she does play this role to significant effect during Certain Plot Events.

Smart Guy:

Now this one is actually Arcana.  As the legitimate Clan tactician, she was Caecius’ pocket ace in intellect long before she began gravitating to Ira.  Thankfully, she has enough loyalty to serve both Caecius as her captain, and Ira... as her own personal “heart” member of the team.

Branching off into Caecius’ perspective, we also have Pinnavoche, his previous emotional center who is now a guarded but trustworthy confidante.  While Case still relies on her for some emotional support - she fits this role in his eyes thanks to her practical knowledge in socio-cultural matters, which proves useful as the plot progresses.

Tank:

... Also known as the big guy, this role on the main squad tends to shuffle between Talon (Ira’s self-proclaimed bodyguard) and Caecius (her partner in battle.)  Both are certainly big enough, and tip the scale with their own brand of strength: Talon is a damage sponge, and Caecius is a veteran hard-hitter.

Also a notable addition in the full ensemble is Amani who, despite his social aloofness, is in fact a big boye, and the most defensive tank on the team, thanks to his constitution and super-healing.  He, fittingly, serves as the medic.

and yes I am ignoring the legitimate giants on the team for now

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We interrupt this scheduled posting to bring you... a tiny baby Ira 💖