| Social Links - Fool to Strength
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- 0. The Fool
- Joker: He was Sudou's master before the King was killed in the line of duty. It evens out, since he's not Joker anymore either.
- Yu Narukami: Despite not being a hot girl, Sudou is not immune to Yu's irresistible charisma. It's tough being a main character.
- II. The High Priestess
- Yukiko Amagi: She tossed him some heals during Caracol and is also fiery. Not much beyond that yet, though.
- III. The Empress
- Maria von Leonbrandt: Mom. An Austrian diplomat and his wife were sent to Japan during World War II and, when the War ended, never left. Maria was born a few years afterwards. After obtaining a first-rate education, she found a position as a secretary in the Foreign Ministry (it was the 1970s, after all) and there attracted the notice of a young minister...you get the idea. Their relationship turned rocky after Tatsuya was born, and steadily declined over the next decade. When Tatsuya was eleven, she died...as far as he knows, anyway. He idealises her, misses her terribly, and visits her grave often. And, of course, hates his father all the more for (among other things) having her killed.
- Tsukiko Otonashi: One of Sudou's liaisons to the other branches of the NWO, SEBEC's fall has shifted her into a position as a corporate ally of the government arm. She's extremely learned in matters both mystical and technological and, though they do argue at times, they generally get on well.
- Nanami Kato: Another socialite and victim of an overbearing, easily-disappointed father, Nanami has found a tentative place in the NWO at Sudou's behest. He genuinely likes and empathises with Miwa Saitou's childhood friend...when he's not fantasizing about sinking his fangs into her throat, anyway. She's also missing an eye, further endearing her to him.
- Mitsuru Kirijo: Seiichi's love interest. Sudou's conflicted over Mitsuru due to this fact, though he no longer considers killing her as a way of winning back Seiichi's unfailing loyalty. He's well aware it wouldn't work.
- Susumu Kamiya: Nika's bestie and Sudou's newest errand boy, as it were. Sudou doesn't hold Susumu's tendency to avoid combat against him, at least; Susumu has other talents.
- IV. The Emperor
- Yisa Taimiev: He wants to see her beautiful fury again, and is upset about being denied it the way he was. She will learn not to deny him, next time.
- Nika Rumyantseva: SO ADORBS. Sudou finds Nika's rage beautiful as well, though it's a different kind of beauty. It's safe to say he's very fond of the gaijin girl.
- V. The Hierophant
- Tatsuzou Sudou: Dad. The one person Tatsuya hates above all others, especially now that he doesn't hate certain other people anymore. He's less afraid of Tatsuzou than he used to be, though; now, he just has a serious craving for revenge.
- Shinjiro Aragaki: They have more in common than either would like to admit, the two Leos. It's been learning this that's eased Sudou's feelings on the boy, though there's still a good deal of mistrust there. The fact that Shinjiro's Shadow attacked Sudou in the latter's own home shortly after his death doesn't help.
- Yui Utsuki: Former Stregite, now a Dragon. Helped out when Sudou and his band of merry (wo)men raided Sumiyoshi HQ, and has since proved she deserves her position. He does think she's awfully...young.
- VI. The Lovers
- Ginji Sasaki: A former founding executive of the Masquerade, and the only one who didn't defect with Sudou after the latter's death. Despite this, Sudou finds he can't really hate the guy for some reason. Maybe it's Ginji's charm, maybe it's their previous long-standing working relationship, maybe it's just the plain fact that Sudou's less likely to take offense at every little damn thing nowadays.
- Mikage Kohama: Spurred on by a combination of concern for her safety and disgust for Masahiko Irie, Mikage recently returned to Sudou's metaphorical embrace. She really seems to want that to be true in the literal sense as well, a fact he's only just beginning to notice.
- Lisa Silverman: One of Jun's friends. She finds Sudou creepy and disturbing, a fact no one can really argue with.
- VII. The Chariot
- Yoh Yamagatani: Yoh likes punching things. Sudou is an excellent challenge. That's pretty much it. The kid seems to think they're friends, but Sudou would be hard-pressed to recall the kid's name if asked for it.
- William Blazer: An American expat working for the NWO, he's a good employee...even if Sudou has been giving him more unnervingly knowing smiles of late, for some reason.
- Chie Satonaka: An employee of the KDA, Sudou inadvertently hired Chie with a blank check and an instruction. He used her account to post to the Darkside board one time; it earned him a whacking with a newspaper. They get on well enough, for all that.
- VIII. Justice
- Katsuya Suou: Sudou nearly killed Katsuya's brother, the aftermath of which disgraced the Suous' father and put Katsuya on the path to becoming a police officer -- unfortunately, not the career he wanted. It's pretty safe to say Katsuya hates Sudou, though the latter is only dimly aware of the detective's existence. This will undoubtedly change soon.
- IX. The Hermit
- Shizuka Taniguchi: One of the former executives. She seems to have a close relationship with Haruna Satou, though not one Sudou's had much opportunity to observe in the wild.
- Izo Imaizumi: Izo came to Sudou's high-rise in the hopes of succeeding where he'd failed with Masahiko Irie; that is, in convincing the yakuza leader to separate supernatural matters from those of the family. Unfortunately for Izo, he was unsuccessful here as well -- or so he left thinking, anyway.
- Rei Saionji: Tatsuzou's personal assistant, and therefore instantly and irrevocably on the younger Sudou's shit list. They've exchanged snubs and jabs, but neither can really explain why they hate one another. Maybe it has to do with something they don't really remember...
- Eien Seida: After gaining some very disturbing insights into the former executive's psyche via accidental contact, the young psychometrist ambushed Sudou to learn the truth of his death. Their subsequent proved much more open and frank than perhaps either of them had anticipated.
- X. The Wheel of Fortune
- Junko Kurosu: Jun's mother, Akinari Kashihara's ex-wife, and one of the founding executives of the Masquerade. Junko defected with Sudou after the latter's death, but never relinquished or lost her Crystal Skull (which is now probably in use as a funky planter or something). The two are (perhaps predictably) great friends, and often attend classy social events together.
- Jun Kurosu: Kashihara-sensei's son, Jun gave Sudou something to believe in and live for when he was on the brink of utter despair. He cared for the boy when they were both young, cares for him still, and will fight anyone who would try to harm Jun -- especially if they come seeking revenge for anything Jun did as Joker-sama.
- XI. Strength
- Masahiko Irie: Masahiko causes the former executive a great deal of consternation, especially with this "Kagutsuchi" organisation of his. Sudou finds him pretentious, sanctimonious, self-righteous, and a lot of other very hypocritical things. Sudou recently dealt the Yakuza Prince a blow by calling the latter out and ordering the Dragons to open fire when the boy strolled up into Club Zodiac and refused to leave when so instructed. The Red Dragon is certain this is only the first of many.
- Enoha Koinose: Enoha's neesan waves cannot be denied, even by Tatsuya Sudou. Science fact.
- Thora Kobayashi: Once affiliated with the Tower Arcana, Thora has now undergone a shift Sudou hasn't fully investigated, but which he suspects is related to her falling out with Shirou Sekigawa. The King and the Oni have history, to be certain. Currently, they're sort of working together in the hopes of getting Akari Hoshi unpossessed, though Sudou only gives a shit about the difference because Shadow-Possession is hazardous to one's health.
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| Social Links - Hanged to World
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- XII. The Hanged Man
- Tohya Kidzuki: She wasn't Hanged when they met, but Sudou counts the ex-KNOWS member as one of the few Darkside affiliates he can tolerate. Recently, the former executive gave her a new katana to replace the one she'd been wielding -- knowing very well there might come a day when she was forced to turn it against him. That wasn't the point.
- Baofu: Sudou has an odd sort of alliance with the tap buster, owing to their mutual hatred for the former's father. They may very well defeat the old dragon one day...or, at the very least, they'll die trying.
- XIII. Death
- Seiichi Miyamoto: Sudou's best friend, inexplicably. The two men have a complicated relationship that has come a long way from the business arrangement it initially was. Sudou genuinely cares for Seiichi -- in fact, he cares for him past the point of foolishness, or even simple good sense. It was Seiichi who pushed Sudou out of a critical moment of existential crisis as well, prompting another stage of development after the latter's death. And of course now they both wear eyepatches, because apparently the cosmos decided they needed to be similar somehow, or something. They have a good business relationship too, especially these days.
- Haruna Satou: A fellow dreamseer and Mayan scholar, Sudou had the unenviable task of breaking the news to Haruna that the paradise for which they'd strived was a lie. He felt worse about this than he did when informing the other executives, due to the nature of their connection. After discovering how she'd dealt with the news, he offered her a new path -- a chance to punish the deceivers. She took it.
- Eikichi Mishina: Another of Jun's friends. Eikichi landed the final blow on Sudou on the airship, finally putting an end to both the latter's mad rampage and his life. Also kind of a dweeb, even if his Shadow very much wasn't.
- XIV. Temperance
- Naomi Suzuno: The two wealthy half-breeds have a complex relationship, one that exists even in spite of Tatsuya Suou's hatred for Sudou. He seems to have some platonic affection for the Spencer heiress that extends beyond the bounds of what might be thought sensible for people in their position, but the root of it is really very simple: Apart from his respect for her as a person, Sudou sees in Naomi what he might have been had the circumstances of his birth been like hers. It's one of the reasons he goes out of his way to be polite and mannerly when dealing with Miles Spencer, who seems to like Sudou for some inexplicable reason.
- Shion Katsuragi: She and Sudou were acquainted -- friends, even -- in high school thanks to track meets, and she may have been his first real crush. They recently reconnected at a ball thrown by Rei Saionji, though they (unbeknownst to Shion) have actually met once in the Inaba Mines. (But we don't talk about that.) He's had feelings for her since high school.
- Miwa Saitou: One of the Shinsengumi, and impressively learned in the occult and other esoteric matters. He's fond of Miwa in his way, which causes her no end of discomfiture.
- XV. The Devil
- Daisuke Itami: Daisuke is a pro at getting under people's skin, and Sudou is no exception. Something else is going on there, though...
- Mariko Ohmukai: Mistakenly identified as the one who sent her a drink as she sat morosely at the bar one evening, Sudou soon found himself accosted by Mariko -- who appeared to be extremely enamoured of the vicious half-breed oyabun, much to his disbelief. Threats and insults did nothing but inflame her interest and, after setting fire to her "calling card," he finally conceded to tell her of his taste for pain (albeit without clarifying whether he liked giving, receiving, or both). His response to her enthusiasm was to flounce, assuming she was still thinking about sex. Doubtless that assumption will come back to bite him later.
- XVI. The Tower
- Anna Yoshizaka: The fourth founding executive of the Masquerade. They've historically been partners, and there may have been more beneath the surface at some point. Whatever the truth, Anna is very important to him.
- Takahisa Kandori: Kandori broke Sudou's trust by nearly killing Anna and, while Sudou repaid the favour, the incident irrevocably destroyed their once-close relationship. It's for the best, really; a few months after their fight, Kandori was killed by some teenagers seeking to prevent the end of the world. Good riddance.
- Mai Namikawa: That thing about being on good terms? Ha ha ha yeah that was a joke.
- Mikiya Ryouhara: The shinobi has taken it upon himself to execute Sudou as punishment for the Shadows that invaded in the wake of the latter's death, both the ones he engineered and the ones he didn't. So far, Mikiya hasn't succeeded.
- XVII. The Star
- Yukio Fujii: They had an unpleasant run-in at a fancy party. Given their mutual luck, it probably won't be the last unpleasant run-in they have.
- XVIII. The Moon
- Akari Hoshi: Once King Leo's minion and chief occupational hazard, Akari has become more of a sister-slash-daughter to the former executive. Abandoning her parents entirely, she's taken up residence in Sudou's flat (where she has her own room) and is now legitimately his ward. She appears to have forgiven him for taking her hostage at the Sky Museum, even though the entire episode resulted in her Shadow becoming ascendant and possessing her. As a reward for attempting to overcome her Possession, Sudou recently gave Akari a kitten...then told her she'd die if she weren't cured, leaving the kitten without anyone to take care of it. #1 Dad, right???
- Maya Amano: Now that the Voices are gone, Sudou finds he's half-awed, half-chastened by the woman he hunted for so long. Alone of all the people he's harmed over the years, Maya is the one who stirs genuine feelings of regret in the former executive's battered heart. Especially because she's forgiven and accepted him, taming the proud creature further.
- Kohaku Tsukino: Crooked cop, courier, spotter, and bootlicker extraordinaire, Kohaku received his induction into the supernatural at Sudou's inadvertent hands. Subsequent encounters have proven to Leo that the cop is extremely useful...and to Kohaku, that the once-executive is fucking terrifying as hell. The departure of the Voices hasn't changed this, it would seem.
- XIX. The Sun
- Tatsuya Suou: Sudou's namesake. While the elder Tatsuya can't find it in himself to hate Suou anymore (seems it's all burnt out), and in spite of the fact that they no longer appear to occupy the same metaphysical space, they're still opposed for various other reasons. At least they don't give each other headaches just by being near each other, though there is still an uncomfortable spiritual intimacy there.
- Kyo Enda: Following, Sudou's assault on Yisa Taimiev, Kyo ambushed the older Sun one Yumezaki Dark Hour. He took further offense to Sudou's equating them as monsters -- and the final stroke was the former executive explaining his reasoning. The fear that overtook Sudou upon seeing Kyo's subsequent tentacular form was exquisitely delicious; the dragon's panicked assault, less so. It's probably safe to say their relationship from here on out will be somewhat less civil, at the very least.
- XX. Judgement
- Michio Magaride: One of the former Masquerade executives. Sudou has an appreciation for the youth's...attention to cleanliness, let's say.
- Shirou Sekigawa: At this point Sudou kind of doesn't care anymore, to be quite honest.
- Frederick Blazer: William Blazer's elder brother and, apparently, hunter. Sudou is aware of their relationship, and of Fred's reason for being in Japan. He finds the situation...amusing.
- Jack Lerner: One of Sudou's oldest (and eldest) acquaintances, the Brit's been in and out of the youth's life for decades. Something of an uncle figure for Sudou, though his recent realisation that he's Affected by Jack's Resonance has made everything a little weird...
- XXI. The World
- Nyarlathotep: FUCK YOU GHOST DAD
- Philemon: Legitimately believes in him. Yeah, Sudou's just as surprised as you are.
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