Model Citizens: Unmasked (WIP - Update March 11, 2022)

[RenaB]

@squarelyblue

Don’t tell him that. He’s going to be more insufferably smug about this like “yes I know it’s a fact but dear MC are you just a tiny bit distracted? Or maybe a whole lot?”

If V gets any more smug the world would probably just implode. There is no other outcome.

[anon86661845]

@RenaB

Should you ever decide you want to, I would love to see it!

@RenaB

What about several drunk, knife-weilding ferrets?

So I was going to do it tomorrow but I have no self control and the mental image of the Vs with several drunk, knife wielding ferrets was just too good

@RenaB

Yeah! (Also, wait, hold up- Did I just suggest something that you turned out to like? Ha! The tables have turned! We need to frame this moment.)

Also I listened to Stop Wondering a few more times and would this be from the MC’s perspective or Ricky’s? I mean it could be either but denial is kind of Ricky’s Thing so

[H2O]

I have the biggest smile on my face when the Informant smiled at my MCs’ awkward attempt at asking information. I thought the Informant would be relatively cold but now I see great potential!

In my headcanon the informant is the stoic, silent type but are very sweet once they warm up to the MC. So, for the MC x Informant flirting would be something like:

MC: “umm…Hi. Again.”

Informant: smiles at mc “…you’re here again.”

MC: " uh…yeah…I need some information."

Informant: “…you know the drill. Information for information.”

MC: “Umm…ok”

MC takes a deep breath

MC: “I like pasta.”

Informant: raises eyebrows

MC: “Now that you know what food I like…what kind of food do you like?”

Informant: stares at MC

MC: nervous gulp

Informant: looks out the bar window, notices italian restaurant next door

Informant: points to italian restaurant “…you want to go together?”

MC: “…what?”

Informant: “…I like pasta too.”

MC:

So flirting consists of both MC and Informant trading information about each other’s likes and interests to get to know one another better

[RenaB]

@anon86661845

So I was going to do it tomorrow but I have no self control and the mental image of the Vs with several drunk, knife wielding ferrets was just too good

I love this so much- as in, beyond words so much. It’s absolutely positively fantastic and amazing. Everything about this is great and beautiful from the sweaters to the ferret-sized knives that I can only assume one (or all) of the Bayer siblings made themselves for this express purpose. This is amazing. Beautiful. Fantastic. It’s made my day- no, my week.

@anon86661845

I’m comin’ for your (got, like, fifty more things to catch up with if I wanna do that but just you wait!)

@anon86661845

Also I listened to Stop Wondering a few more times and would this be from the MC’s perspective or Ricky’s? I mean it could be either but denial is kind of Ricky’s Thing so

Y’know I’ve been wondering about that myself. My first inclination was Ricky talking to a more flirtatious MC, just because there is this note of pompousness to it which is very Ricky, and also sounds like the kinda things the MC can tease him about. Obviously though it depends on the MC, so for some it might work better for the MC than for others.

@H2O

I have the biggest smile on my face when the Informant smiled at my MCs’ awkward attempt at asking information. I thought the Informant would be relatively cold but now I see great potential!

That’s a very cute scene, isn’t it? I love it too, smiled while writing it!

The Informant is always a difficult one to talk about because so much of his route is just finding the basic things out about him but I can confidently say that he’s definitely one of the kinder characters. Not quite as overtly almost-angelic-in-how-nice-they-are like Eileen and Raf but he can be very sweet as well! (A la awkward greeting scene.)

@H2O

In my headcanon the informant is the stoic, silent type but are very sweet once they warm up to the MC. So, for the MC x Informant flirting would be something like:

D’aww, I love this, it’s adorable. And absolutely perfect for a more-shy MC and the Informant.

[Anathema]

I didn’t know the Informant was a RO! Why do you keep doing this to me? First I wanted Raf then Vin came along and swayed me aside and now the Informant is a cutie pie I can smooch too!?

Thank god for multiple playthroughs xD

@H2O

In my headcanon the informant is the stoic, silent type but are very sweet once they warm up to the MC. So, for the MC x Informant flirting would be something like:

That was adorable. I’m going to make an awkward MC just like yours too now.

((Also, hi @RenaB I’m a long time lurker of your story and love it - I love Icarus Sun too btw))

[RenaB]

@Anathema

I didn’t know the Informant was a RO!

Indeed he is! He sadly doesn’t get a lot of love as I can’t talk about most things about him considering, y’know, even his name is a spoiler. (Okay, well, actually, in a story about superheroes and villains thats not that odd, but still.) But I love him. And, yep, he is an RO as well!

(Of course, that’s not saying I can’t answer any questions on him, even those that are spoilery I’m sure I can scrounge up something satisfyingly vague.)

@Anathema

Why do you keep doing this to me?

Because it’s fun.

@Anathema

First I wanted Raf then Vin came along and swayed me aside and now the Informant is a cutie pie I can smooch too!?

Thank god for multiple playthroughs xD

See! You know the chant! You’ll be fine. Now you’ve just got even more fun to look forward to!

@Anathema

((Also, hi @RenaB I’m a long time lurker of your story and love it - I love Icarus Sun too btw))

Hello! Welcome! Come join us in the lovely land of drunk knife-weilding ferrets and adorable/heartbreaking scenarios!

Awww, I’m so flattered you like them both! Thank you so much!

[squarelyblue]

@RenaB is it too much of spoiler to ask the kinds of tropes we can expect for the Informant romance (or at least some)

[Morphine]

Can anyone regardless of gender romance the Informant?

[RenaB]

@Morphine

Can anyone regardless of gender romance the Informant?

Yep! 100%!

@squarelyblue

@RenaB is it too much of spoiler to ask the kinds of tropes we can expect for the Informant romance (or at least some)

Absolutely not too much of a spoiler at all!

Hmmm… I need to research trope names for this…

Turns out, there are a lot of odd tropes out there. I tried to find ones that fit and I’m bending the meanings a bit (but then again the whole thing that started this story was taking a bunch’a superhero tropes and mangling them to try and tackle how they’d actually effect a common person on the street), and I found three main ones that I could (kinda??) fit to the Informant’s romance.

• Pair the Smart Ones - This one works well because a lot of the Informant’s romance involves, well, working with him, and in doing so the MC gets to show off their own skills in information gathering as does the Informant. And considering how they’re both experienced in that aspect they get to kinda show off their smarts in that regard- this was the best fit I could find for that sort of description so I hope it’s not too far off?

• Everyone Can See It - The Informant’s romance is one of the slower ones, considering he starts with the most unknowns a lot of it will be slowly opening up to the MC and sort of learning about himself. In doing so he may or may not already have feelings for the MC (depending on your choices, of course) and MC might already have feelings for him. If this si the case then, yeah… this will be pretty true.

• Another kinda twisted one but Battle Couple-ish??? - Like I said the Informant’s path involves him and the MC working together a lot, and, well, if you don’t have a clear idea of just how dangerous the MC’s job can get I can 100% guarantee you will in the next update. And if you’re working with the Informant then, well, the two of them will be getting through all that jazz together. Hence, Battle Couple.

Obviously there’ll be smaller-tropes weaved into romantic scenes mainly because I’m sucker for things like Kissing in the Rain and all that jazz, but those are less prominent as themes in his romance and more just some fun additions in larger individual scenes!

[idonotlikeusernames]

@RenaB

Another kinda twisted one but Battle Couple-ish???

Why do I feel Vincent is also going to be this, what with being a super-cute red-haired menace and all?

[anon86661845]

@RenaB

I love this so much- as in, beyond words so much. It’s absolutely positively fantastic and amazing. Everything about this is great and beautiful from the sweaters to the ferret-sized knives that I can only assume one (or all) of the Bayer siblings made themselves for this express purpose. This is amazing. Beautiful. Fantastic. It’s made my day- no, my week.

This ferret’s my favorite.

I bet the Vs have made an entire arsenal of ferret sized weapons

@RenaB

I’m comin’ for your (got, like, fifty more things to catch up with if I wanna do that but just you wait!)

@RenaB

Y’know I’ve been wondering about that myself. My first inclination was Ricky talking to a more flirtatious MC, just because there is this note of pompousness to it which is very Ricky, and also sounds like the kinda things the MC can tease him about. Obviously though it depends on the MC, so for some it might work better for the MC than for others.

The mental image of Ricky saying “Bitch, please” is just too good

@RenaB

Obviously there’ll be smaller-tropes weaved into romantic scenes mainly because I’m sucker for things like Kissing in the Rain and all that jazz, but those are less prominent as themes in his romance and more just some fun additions in larger individual scenes!

[Anathema]

@RenaB

He sadly doesn’t get a lot of love as I can’t talk about most things about him considering, y’know, even his name is a spoiler. (Okay, well, actually, in a story about superheroes and villains thats not that odd, but still.)

So the Informant is a superhero/supervillain? I mean does he actually have any kind of superpowers or is he just really really good at information gathering?

Sorry if this has been asked before but it’s such a long thread I can’t read it all.

[RenaB]

@idonotlikeusernames

Why do I feel Vincent is also going to be this, what with being a super-cute red-haired menace and all?

Instinct. Self-preservation instinct mainly. But yes, you would be absolutely correct in assuming so.

@anon86661845

This ferret’s my favorite.

That’s a good ferret (granted, they’re all good ferrets)

Gotta say, this li’l guy has earned a special place in my heart:

He looks so happy to have that tiny knife.

@anon86661845

The mental image of Ricky saying “Bitch, please” is just too good

I know! I’m not gonna be able to get it outta my head now, haha.

@anon86661845

Excuse you, Mister I would’ve hoped you’d realize by now that writing adorably fluffy scenes is second in my heart only to writing drama-filled (probably mildly-heartbreaking) scenes. Of course there’s gonna be a rain-kiss scene for at least one RO!

@Anathema

So the Informant is a superhero/supervillain? I mean does he actually have any kind of superpowers or is he just really really good at information gathering?

The MC doesn’t really know. There’s definitely the possibility that he gets his information through more power-based means, but insofar as the MC can gather, he either found it out himself or it was information that someone else traded him in return for something else.

@Anathema

Sorry if this has been asked before but it’s such a long thread I can’t read it all.

Do not worry at all! There’s definitely been a lot of different conversations that have happened over the time so if anyone misses anything I am more than happy to repeat/answer things even if they’ve already be asked! You’re all good!

[squarelyblue]

@RenaB

Of course there’s gonna be a rain-kiss scene for at least one RO!

Okay but who? Is it Raf because this screams Raf (and maybe V since his dramatic ass won’t have it any other way – but it has to be a thunderstorm not a drizzle because why settle at 50% when you can have 100% with extra mood and lighting)

I know the answer is likely “WAIT AND SEE” but can’t blame me for trying :))

[RenaB]

@squarelyblue

I know the answer is likely “WAIT AND SEE” but can’t blame me for trying :))

See but now I’ve gotta give an answer to keep you on your toes!

@squarelyblue

Okay but who? Is it Raf because this screams Raf (and maybe V since his dramatic ass won’t have it any other way – but it has to be a thunderstorm not a drizzle because why settle at 50% when you can have 100% with extra mood and lighting)

Mmmm well I’ve already said the Informant as one who is up for this possibility. I would definitely include Divorced Raf & Lucy in that pool as well. Other than that I’m not sure about anyone else exactly? (I do agree that V would definitely be the kinda person to go out in the middle of a hurricane just for that dramatic kiss moment.)

[Umbreonpanda]

@RenaB

Yep! 100%!

squarelyblue:

HECK YES! How about the other ROs(what are their preference)?

[RenaB]

I put up some scrap info on the ROs way way way back when, so I’ll just put them up here again!

@RenaB

Finley Burke - Nonbinary (Genderfluid), Pansexual
Finley is your boss. That being said, they don’t really appear to like their job at The Rust either, which might contribute to their consistently caustic tone. You don’t really know why they took job if they dislike what The Rust does, but for some reason they did and they’re doing their damnedest to make The Rust the best it can be- which is really just like them. Because no matter the situation, Finley’s the type of person who’ll take it with a sarcastic comment and a smile, and then do their best to make it into something better.

Rafael “Raf” Darzi - Male, Pansexual
Raf is an affectionate, shy guy with gentle manners and a knack for remaining calm in even the most dire of situations. Raf is very empathetic, and as a result he has a tendency to put himself last. Raf has a tendency to focus on one thing as a time, since when he does he kinda loses sight of everything else outside of what it is he’s so focused on.

Jacob Greenhill - Male, Homosexual
A young law student who used to be in a police academy but left after deciding that catching the bad-guys wasn’t enough- but making sure that they actually got into jail was. Jacob’s a man with a strong sense of justice and a lot of passion, but he’s young and doesn’t quite know what he’s doing, and he gets frustrated easily with that fact. Jacob’s a social, energetic guy with a lot of hopes and dreams.

Lucille “Lucy” Pinchette - Female, Pansexual
Lucy’s a woman with a pirate’s swagger and a fire in her eyes. She’s outspoken and unafraid to state exactly what’s on her mind. She’s your grade-A extrovert and loves being around people- well… people she likes. Lucy isn’t afraid to speak out when she dislikes something or someone. Lucy is also fiercely loyal to those she does like, she’ll do pretty much anything for family and friends.

Yolanda Waltz - Female, Homosexual
Yolanda Waltz is a socialite who’s known for managing the nightclub Chat Blanc and for being a bit of a playboy (playgirl? I’m not sure of the word) type, although, strangely, she’s never actually seen in a relationship. Yolanda is known to be suave and cool-headed, and has a rather gleaming reputation in Nickelport’s mass media as the businesswoman responsible for Chat Blanc’s recent success.

Eileen Abney - Female, Asexual (Panromantic)
Eileen is a sweet girl who just moved to Nickelport recently. She’s struggling in the big city since she’s never really been in that kind of environment, and as a result is a little overwhelmed with everything. But she finds solace in small groups of friends that she’s made while she’s here. Eileen’s main concern right now is proving, to herself and others, that she can survive in this crazy city- and not just survive, but thrive as well.

??? (You don’t know his name, he hasn’t really given you one yet…) - Male, Pansexual
An informant, and… that’s really all you know about him. This guy is someone who you’ve yet to find out the identity of. In the few interactions you’ve had with him it’s been hard to get a read on his personality, especially since most of them are short or not in person. Somehow he seems to know everything about Nickelport’s underground, and he’s perfectly willing to trade that information… if you can bring him more.

Ricky Dempsey - Male, Pansexual? Heterosexual?
Ah… yes… Mr. Ricky Dempsey. Ricky Dempsey and you have a… strained… relationship, to say the least. He’s a politician who you actually caught cheating on his wife in a story that was supposed to be a dead-end rumormill investigation that you were using as cover on a bigger, superhero-related piece. Now you’ve got him under your thumb (despite the fact that you were never going to publish the piece anyway), especially since his entire political campaign was built on promises of “honesty and a trustworthy politician who’ll tackle corporate corruption”. Since then, Dempsey and his wife have split, and though the public thinks that its because of his focus on politics you know a bit better. Dempsey is a politician, so he’s got all the charm and eloquence that comes with one… on the outside, at least.

V wasn’t in there at the time but V is romanceable by everyone regardless of gender as well.

So in other words most everyone is romanceable by everyone else, the few exceptions being Yolanda and Jacob. Eileen is also asexual, and Ricky is going through a period of self-discovery so his romance will be very very different depending on whether or not your MC is female.

Fun fact on romance as well that I kinda-sorta mentioned briefly when talking about Grace Fideline (Ricky’s ex-wife), but scattered throughout the game are also people who you may be able to flirt with (or even have a brief fling) even if you can’t romance them (for varying different reasons depending on the person.)

(Example using Grace again because I already talked about her: She’s more than willing to have a fling with a male MC in part out of spite towards Ricky, but outside of that the MC is kind of… below her standards.(?) To her money and power are necessary traits for anyone she’d actually pursue romantically, and since the MC doesn’t really have either of those right now she doesn’t really consider him a viable option for a long-term romance.)

EDIT: It also occurred to me that this would be the kinda information I should probably put up in the original post… I’m… gonna go do that…

[cookiemonsta]

Well joke’s on her cause Vee’s ex husband is the most wanted villain out there

[RenaB]

I’m… admittedly not entirely sure that Grace would see that as a good thing, ahaha.

[Mxm124]

@RenaB

Lucille “Lucy” Pinchette - Female, Pansexual

Lucy’s a woman with a pirate’s swagger and a fire in her eyes. She’s outspoken and unafraid to state exactly what’s on her mind. She’s your grade-A extrovert and loves being around people- well… people she likes. Lucy isn’t afraid to speak out when she dislikes something or someone. Lucy is also fiercely loyal to those she does like, she’ll do pretty much anything for family and friends.

If she’s loyal family, why’d she break up with the MC? Why you no love me lucy?