Umbra Tear's Links
One of the first Tested she ever met and a close friend of hers. Even during the Competition they're friendly with one another, and Umbra generally avoids bothering him and the rest of Halyn's Alliance if she can help it. She worries for his well-being and has a feeling he's keeping a lot of his problems hidden, but that's a feeling she knows too well to do much about. All she can really do is believe and trust in him, as she would do regardless.
He's also a graceful loser, which she appreciates.
One of the first Tested he ever met, as she was working for Halyn at the time of their first meeting. Dicro holds her in high regard and trusts her unconditionally, even during the Competitions when they're supposed to be killing each other. She was much better at helping him adjust to the Competition than Halyn was, and as a result he sees her as sort of like an older sister he knows he can depend on.
He cares about her so much that he forgives her and keeps playing every time she absolutely devastates him at video games.
One of the Oress Holders. He died first, right? She doesn't really know anything about him, nor does she care.
That was some weird fanfiction, though.
The woman who created the Oresses and, ergo, gave him his powers but also unintentionally erased all of his memories prior to receiving his Oress. He thinks she's terrifying and would probably kill him on sight, so even when there's not an active Competition he tries to avoid her and her alliance at all costs.
Dicro's Marionette and a member of Halyn's Alliance. If Ara is Umbra's daughter, then Umbra sees Fray as being her niece. As such, Umbra is fairly protective of Fray but otherwise doesn't interact with her too often.
The leader of Umbra's Alliance. Fray thinks she's really cool and strong, like her really badass aunt or something. That being said, they don't come in contact /that/ often.
A member of Halyn's Alliance whom she's acquainted with. They have a sort of unspoken respect for each other, the Competitions have formed a growing rift between them due to fighting between their alliances.
The leader of Umbra's Alliance and therefore someone who's somewhere between uneasy ally and enemy. They used to get along pretty well and Seraye still respects her, but the more violent members of Umbra's Alliance have soured Seraye's opinion of Umbra herself.
Muri is a frequent unwanted guest of hers, usually found lurking in the unused hallways of her mansion. She shouldn't complain about the free security, but Umbra doesn't trust Muri to leave her allies alone.
Her mansion sure is nice! Way too much of a hassle to be a worthwhile target, though... such a shame! Her soul seems like it would make a great meal...
A recurring nuisance in her life. Umbra doesn't really care if she steals the mansion's various treasures - they were pretty much all there before Umbra got there, anyway - but she's good practice. Keeps her from getting too rusty between Competitions.
A great challenge! Man, they should really hang out more often.
A longtime friend of hers who she trusts unconditionally, seeing absolutely nothing weird about this. Despite his appearance, Umbra knows Bunny is reliable and someone who can be taken seriously. He's always been willing to help her, always lightens the moods during Competitions, and has even helped watch and manage the Mansion for her before. He's a genuinely good person - err, rabbit - and Umbra welcomes him as an ally.
A cool chick from the Test Reality who always lets him chill in her fancy mansion. Okay, he invites himself in, but Umbra never kicks him out! She's a pretty awesome person and Bunny believes in her. She's got it rough, but Bunny knows she'll always pull through. And, hey, if she needs a little support here and there, he's there! :3
Black was initially a firm enemy of hers, but as time went on the nature of the Competition became more apparent, prompting relations between Umbra's Alliance and other alliances to soften a bit - at the very least toward Umbra herself. For a while Black was even a member of her alliance, whom she valued and trusted just like any other member.
She's never held anything against him and honestly thinks pretty highly of him. If he needed something, she wouldn't really hesitate to help him out. An outsider might wonder why they're not close allies, but, well... an outsider might not be aware of a certain purple problem that they have vastly different opinions on. Not that she can really blame Black for his stance on the subject, of course.
Still, though, she has no interest in bringing harm to Black or otherwise causing him distress. She'd rather just leave him be. She's sure there will come a day where they can't stay out of each other's ways any longer, but Umbra intends on delaying that confrontation for as long as possible.
Despite a history of almost always being on opposite sides, Black doesn't really harbor any ill will towards Umbra personally. He sympathizes with her methodology and especially her goals, as evident from his time as part of her alliance, but issues concerning the... company she keeps have kept them from working together any further. Will actively avoid conflict with her if possible, but the day will inevitably come when his hand is forced.
The most precious being in all of Entirety. Must be protected at all costs. Ara is so cute and sweet and genuinely loving that Umbra can't hold a conversation with her without clutching her chest.
Umbra cares very deeply for Ara and sees her as her daughter. Ara serves as her morality chain and is who keeps her strong even when she doubts the value of her own existence. Umbra will do just about anything to defend her and protect her happiness.
The most important person in the world to her. Umbra is Ara's adoptive mother and someone who really needs someone like Ara in her life. Ara does everything she can to make her happy and to help her recover from the woes of the Competition. Umbra works so hard, and Ara just wants to see her be happy! She'll do whatever she can to make sure Umbra holds on and knows the world is worth fighting for!
Someday Ara might work up the courage to tell her the truth... but for now...
A member of her alliance who's been around for almost as long as it's been accessible to other Realities. Despite Ignis' incredible malevolence and untrustworthiness, he's proven himself to be one of the most valuable, loyal, and likeable members of her alliance. Umbra trusts him almost unconditionally, and her trust isn't something that's given away easily.
Though she wouldn't admit it out loud, Umbra has a considerable amount of personal investment in Ignis. Which is exactly how she'd phrase it if she had to. Those who continue prying beyond that point shouldn't count on their continued well-being. Because it's not like she likes him or anything. <a href="http://viremialite.tumblr.com/post/102486600082/ive-been-thinking-a-lot-about-why-umbra-has-any">Geez</a>.
As Umbra's longest-served non-Tested alliance member, Ignis takes a great deal of pride in his years of service under her. Despite some minor friction here and there with some of the other alliance members, he always made an effort to make himself useful to her cause, proving to be an extremely valuable asset and trustworthy confidante. So, in other words, not the usual behavior that one might expect out of Ignis.
It's generally not a good idea to press him more on the subject. No really, don't.
Soleil is a close friend of Umbra's whose company she welcomes any time. Most people wouldn't expect them to get along so well, but Soleil's nice to be around. Besides, they both have a passion for fashion, even if Umbra won't say it out loud.
Umbra is a close friend of Soleil's. They bond a lot over fashion, and Soleil always picks out the snazziest coats and shades for Umbra to wear. Soleil can't help but wonder if her whole role in the Test Reality is to make Opine's self-insert look good...
Umbra can't help but feel bad for Cel. She's not sure what happened that made Cel maintain some semblance of her pre-awakened self, but it's unfortunate that it caused her to end up in a position she clearly wasn't prepared for and would never want in the first place. As neutral as she tries to stay, it does pain her to constantly be the source of Cel's woes. She's far too gentle a being to be stuck in the Competition, but people like her are exactly why Umbra does what she does.
Cel has... complicated feelings about Umbra. Umbra's Alliance has always been in direct opposition to the Castle Oress Alliance, but Cel knows that Umbra is actually a good person deep down. Heck, not even that deep down at all! Cel recognizes that in the end, Umbra is really just another person trapped in the system and has her own unique way of helping everyone cope. She wishes they didn't have to be enemies, but even during times of peace it's hard to trust her...
Umbra is... not too happy about Opine, to say the least. She's caused the Tested no shortage of torment, has defined Umbra's existence as that of constant suffering, and has forced her to accept burdens she never asked for. She understands there might be a person somewhere beneath the gaudy mask, but that person is testing the limits of Umbra's patience.
Don't ask her about the avatar thing. She doesn't know how to feel about that. She prefers not to think too hard on the implications.
Opine created Umbra as something of an avatar, an idealized representation of herself, with all of the strength and power and confidence that Opine--
Well. The point is that Opine has long wished for Umbra to win the Competition, but the story's become so distorted and Umbra has become so tainted by Ignis that Opine can't help but feel bitter when she looks at her.
There's a certain sort of shame in looking at Exuro. She doesn't deny her actions; in past cycles she was decidedly more callous and sadistic, and no number of retcons from Opine can take away the reality of what transpired. Furthermore, she continues to keep the same sort of company she did back then, so it isn't as though she's turned over a new leaf and become a good guy worthy of forgiveness. Similarly, should they encounter each other in a Competition again... well, a death game is a death game. She'll try to tamp down all the torture, but it is what it is. She holds no animosity toward him - she respects him, even - but she neither expects nor is offended by that sentiment not being reciprocated.
She never really expected Arquen to adopt a box, but... well, to be perfectly honest she feels like she should stop not expecting things. The box is fine.
Arquen has two bosses apparently?! Umbra looks a little mean, but she's nice!
Poor, poor Julias. All he wanted to do was be an effective agent of Ignis, and then he got Halyn'd. And then he got Muri'd! It's hard for Umbra not to actively pity him, really. He's certainly competent and all that, but it's hard to focus on that when she's just thinking about what an unfortunate soul he is.