#starocide

Maybe I'd be able to appreciate Elise's gags more if we ever got to see her relationship with Kuon outside of those gags, as we see Shiori and Mai connect on a thematic level. The fact that we see Mai fight so hard to forge that connection is also a boon to Shiori's character; we know Mai cares about her, even when her later quirkiness makes Mai uncomfortable. This makes Shiori feel more like a horribly socially awkward girl rather than a stalker archetype. We're seeing her with more stability, safety, and freedom than she's ever had before, experiencing and expressing a crush for the first time in her life. So she's a fucking weirdo about it, and thanks to the friends around her, she's allowed to be.

I could also talk about how her upbringing informs her obsession. Looking at how other NOL loyalists are expected to act (Hibiki's struggles, Tsubaki's struggles, the general attitude of the Zeroth Squadron) suggests that the only framework Shiori would have for 'love' IS this uncanny devotion that she's turning from the NOL/Hazuki family to Mai specifically. It's the only thing she's had all her life, so it's the only thing she can offer Mai- and the only familiar guidelines to process her new feelings through.

Then there's how she completely avoids my issues with how Nu was handled. Nu's love for Ragna isolated her from the rest of the cast, which the narrative exaggerated further. In contrast, Sumeragi wastes no time integrating Shiori into the relationship dynamics of the story.

She's introduced alongside Chachakaka. Unlike Mai, the two don't share history, but they do share a profession, and a sort of understanding through that. Then in the very same scene where Mai finally gets through to Shiori, we see Chacha- watching her fellow assassin give up on a mark.

Now this also serves as foreshadowing for Chacha's whole deal; Mai is her mark, and she's here for more compassionate reasons than to take her life. But I'd argue it also works to establish that even if we don't see them interact much, Chacha cares about Shiori. She never reports Shiori's betrayal, even though I'd wager that "giving up an opportunity to kill your mark and sobbing in their arms instead" is a pretty big no-no for a hired killer.

Then in the chapter immediately after Shiori swears herself to Mai, she spends most of her screen time interacting with someone else; Taro! They share a connection through Mai, as Shiori recognizes him as a love rival, but the story lets them bond on a deeper level than making her resent him for the crime of Evil Boy Close To My Waifu. Shiori knows Mai cares about Taro, so she does her best to grit her teeth and try to help him out. We get to see them start building their own sort of awkward friendship that continues on into their Variable Heart appearances where they're able to fight side-by-side and Shiori shows genuine concern for him.

Sumeragi's willingness to let Shiori take up space in the cast is immensely beneficial to her character. We dive into the reasons behind her behavior, we see her struggle with the same themes of the NOL's legacy that her castmates struggle with, we see her navigate ALL her relationships with the same clumsiness she does with Mai.