Character Card: Zera (Patreon)

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Character Card: Zera

Zera's appearance during his time in the academy:

180 cm- 5'11" tall

Pale white skin with dark brown eyes.

He has a lean yet well-toned build, with broad shoulders. Like most of his people, Zera possesses angular facial features, and large expressive eyes that sometimes betray his regularly hidden emotions.

His long black hair reaches to his shoulders, and is usually styled into a ponytail. He keeps himself well-groomed, and attempts to present himself at all times as refined and clean. This is mostly due to the fact he wishes to convey that the Kin are not the dirty savages or brutes the imperials have made them out to be.

Even though he is one of the Kin, the emperor himself has mandated that Zera wear the black uniform of the academy, distinguishing himself apart from the commonborn. As with everything else about him, he keeps his uniform clean and within regulation. Moreso, he doesnt even attempt to modify or personalize his uniform as other nobility is want to do.

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Zera himself:
As said before, Zera is naturally lean, but his training has developed in him a muscular definition to his body that hints at the strength he is capable of. During the academy, Zera will try to undersell his abilities and shift the focus away from him, following the directive given to him by the emperor: "Try to fit in." As such, Zera will be hesitant to approach others, and the MC will be needing to strike conversation with him first. 

Zera's personality:
Though the above states the emperor's mandate, and Zera does try to uphold it...some of these nobles be trippin'. As such, you'll probably find Zera naturally defensive and willing to trade barbs with others. He is prickly, sarcastic, mean, and rude. 

By the time you meet him, the nobles will have broken him down and made him try to "survive" the academy by fighting back and keeping a wall between himself and others. But Zera takes it easy on the bullied, and more often than not, will be their defender. He has a soft spot for them, and if you or anyone else is willing to share their troubles with him, he wont try to compare and say he had it worse. He'll listen, and he'll stick around to make sure you're heard. 

Thanks to these qualities, Zera has consistently been getting into trouble. But each time, the students Zera has interacted with, have petitioned to dissuade the faculty from dismissing him from the academy.

Zera and romance:
Zera's romance will feature you breaking down his walls so that he can share his problems with you. Zera's been alone for pretty much his entire life, and the people around him have mostly had machinations for him. You shouldnt try to force it out of him, instead, you should try to make him comfortable enough to trust you with his past. For him, the scars still remain. As his lover, you'll need to navigate his mood swings as he tries coming to terms that he has someone who loves him, and thats new to him. And what's new, usually scares. Your job will be to annoy the shit out of him by staying and not letting him scare you off. Of course, ill allow you to say so to his face :D

On a special note, a Low Mental Cohesion MC will have a great experience with Zera, as Zera is planned to be the opposite of LMC. Because even though Zera was abused, hurt, scorned, and unloved, Zera is capable of giving and showing love.  He doesnt let rage, real rage consume him. He desperately tries to be different from his father, and with the LMC MC, he'll try his best to keep you on the right path. No amount of Charisma checks will deter him from letting you poison your soul! 

Also, you must go the the Diplomatic Mission!

Zera likes and dislikes:

Likes:

Order and cleanliness, physical training or exercise, Astrid and Maximillian, underdogs, intellectual or philosophical conversations, music and art. 

Dislikes:

Pretentiousness and elitism, Veriel and Nysthe, injustice, insincerity, center of attention, and violence without purpose. 

Zera and family:

He wants to kill his father.