#also sasaki is here mostly for comedic effect

[1moreff-creator]

"eva in particular is fantastic and is my favorite character" clap if you're surprised anyone, FF has a type /joke /lh

A type of character I particularly enjoy? What could possibly make you come to that conclusion?

I mean, look, I'll pick my favorite characters from three different fangans and you'll see they have nothing in-

[Pictured above: Three academically gifted women with related talents, all of which at some point take a role akin to "support" for either the protagonist (DR Despair Time & Project: Eden's Garden) or the cast (Tetro DR Pink) early in the story, although their preferred killing game strategy/lifestyle causes friction with other members of the cast, in particular having one clearly defined ideological rival (Xander, Hiroaki, Wolfgang). They may also be ever so slightly fucked up in several different ways]

... Fuck, I'm predictable.

Spoilers for the fangans mentioned below the cut

Also how are they all the CH1 killer??? How in the actual fuck does that happen??? Can we let one of the nerds live past CH1 please???? For me??? /j /lh

[ghoultyrant]

FoZ Notes 3

Today’s Familiar of Zero notes session is rather short. It’s not because Volume 3 is short, as it’s not. It’s because what other people call ‘harem shenanigans’ creeps its way into the plot, killing off worldbuilding and plot progression, which are the things I’m interested in taking notes on.

If this was an anomaly, I’d write it off as a mishandled breather chapter.

As is, it’s foreshadowing for Things To Come.

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Illusion and charm magic being mentioned. [Future note: What affinity do these fall under? No clue. Such spells keep cropping up, but we’re not told where they fall. Ever] No-fly rule for the palace's airspace. [Reader note: This is a temporary rule imposed by tensions with Albion. Which is a very questionable policy, but it’s canon]

Manticore, Dragon, and Griffon corps take turns guarding the Palace.

"However, Saito drew a different conclusion" -said conclusion being what Wales EXPLICITLY said. Because moron plot prevents the wimminz from understanding basic English. Japanese. Halkeginian. Whatever the fuck. [Reader note: This is in reference to Henrietta viewing Wales’ sacrifice as proof he doesn’t love her as much as she thought he did. Saito ‘draws the conclusion’ that no, Wales sacrificed himself because he refused to burden Henrietta with the problems that him being a fugitive king would bring to Tristain. Which is all well fine and good except Wales explicitly told Saito this. This is either terrible translation or Saito-ego-stroking idiocy. I’m inclined to suspect the latter]

Uh. "Privilege of men"? Can this story make up its goddamn mind about how noblewomen work? [Reader note: The ‘privilege of men’ in question is that of going off to fight and die for honor, glory, God and Queen. This is wildly inconsistent with, among other things, Tabitha’s badassery being treated as notable for degree, and not for the fact that she’s female]

Wind Ring evokes a strong emotional response from Henrietta. [Reader note: Because it was Wales’ ring, and she loved him so] She resizes it, because who needs to consider the practical implications of such magic?

Kirche is an idiot who doesn't understand Secret or possibly understands and is pretending otherwise so she can gather intelligence for Germania. Either way: goddammit Kirche. We also see no one giving a fuck about Guiche in a fit of comedic sociopathy. [Future note: This continues for a while, but eventually Guiche becomes Saito’s brother-in-arms who sympathizes and empathizes with Saito’s women problems and we’re supposed to like Guiche. This is unfortunate, as he’s the only character I’d rate as a more reprehensible shithead than Saito]

New character: Oliver Cromwell. An archbishop who became a general and is now calling himself Emperor of Albion. Pretends to be humble and nice, isn't. A Void magic user, capable of reviving the fucking dead. Of course. This is why he was elected Emperor, he claims. [Future note: Actually, he’s not a Void dude. He’s using a rare magic item. This would be an interesting plot twist if anything was actually done with it] Needs the Founder's Prayer Book in Tristain for... some reason. [Future note: I have no goddamn clue why he wants it, beyond it being some ominous mystery reason for why he wants to assault Tristain]

Germanians are fire magic experts or something. [Future note: This never crops up again]

Colbert invents a combustion engine. [Reader note: On his own, spontaneously. Colbert gets very, very bullshit about this kind of thing later, and this is already an ominous start]

Montmorency is jealous and awful, and Louise will do shit she knows is stupid just because her pride has been pricked.

Tristanian royalty has the bridesmaid carry the Founders Prayerbook, explaining how Louise gets a hold of it -because of course Henrietta selected her as bridesmaid. Also something about writing an 'edict'? [Future note: This edict thing never gets clarified]

Tea is rare and comes from far east, past elven lands.

Knitting is a hobby of Louise's, taught by her mother. She sucks at it.

Is there ANY part of Tristain more than three days ride from the city? [Future note: No]

Londinium is the capitol of Albion. I can't get past how it sounds like some metal's name.

Miss Sheffield is a Not-Japan foreigner using muggle science to assist the Reconquistadors. [Future note: This makes no goddamn sense with later information]

Water affinity apparently lets you sense the flow of life in people. How do these extra senses matter so little? [Future note: Because, like all things magical, they exist or fail to exist based on the author’s whims, mood, what he hate for breakfast that morning, etc]

Henrietta's mother, Marianne, is still alive. Confused as to why the Prime Minister is in charge, then. [Future note: Holy crap I’d forgotten she got introduced here. She’s not plot relevant for more than ten volumes, though]

Okay, I like the snipe at money-dropping monsters in fantasy/rpgs.

Siesta's hometown of Tarbes has "the Dragon's Raiment", ie a plane. Siesta herself is partially Japanese -her grandfather was actually a Japanese pilot. ("Navy ensign Sasaki Takeo") Siesta being Japanese-ish is an actual plotpoint/foreshadowing! [Reader note: That is, we’ve been hearing about her long, straight, black hair, and Saito has had feelings of homesickness when looking at her, etc]

Siesta is the eldest of eight kids. [Future note: We never, ever meet any of them]

Gandalfr powers are both generous in what counts as a weapon and provide a lot of feedback on the condition and suchlike. [Reader note: The Zero Fighter known as the Dragon’s Raiment counts as a weapon, and Saito magically knows its condition when he touches it]

The wedding takes place in the capitol of Germania, Vindobona. [Reader note: Henrietta’s wedding to the Germanian emperor]

While Henrietta is preparing to go get married, Albion attacks La Rochelle, pretending to be sending a diplomatic fleet, and afterward pretending Tristain initiated the fight and claiming they're declaring war in self-defense. Basically, they proposed a peace treaty so they could blame Tristain for the war.

Naturally, Tarbes is close enough for Albion landing in La Rochelle's vicinity to mean they're landing where Siesta and Saito currently are. Coincidentally. [Reader note: Have I mentioned this story runs on contrivances?]

Oh my god Henrietta is great. Tear off the part of her dress making it hard to run, throw it at Prime Minister Mazarin, tell him "maybe you can get married". Actually, the Prime Minister is pretty great, too, trying said strip to his forehead and following along with aplomb. [Future note: oh my god why did the story abandon this stuff they were great]

Derflinger gets some kind of "trickle" from this weapon info effect. [Future note: This never crops up again]

Founder's Prayerbook is in Ancient Runes, which Louise can read because she studies hard dammit. Interesting. I was expecting automagical translation. [Future note: This is completely forgotten about after this] Need one of the four elemental rings to be able to read the book, too.

End volume 3.

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There's really not much plot here. It's mostly Louise and Saito's Emotional Drama with some bombs being dropped about the setting, and one major plot advancement. (Albion attacking, being repulsed) It also basically spits on the entirety of volume 2, as it turns out that Henrietta's marriage to Germania doesn't happen anyway! Great job, heroes, you accomplished jack and shit with your secret mission of importance!