Merrill is delightful!! :')

Honestly, she's a character who's just right up my alley. I always love the loud and rowdy types with a heart of gold (and freckles, freckles are always good), but I think what I love most about her is how unphased she seems to be by having been thrust 100 years into the future, away from anyone she knows. It's very pragmatic, like OK, new situation, but I'm still a soldier: who needs serving now? And I love that she keeps her now-old fashioned clothing and sword despite the situation. There's a determination and stubbornness to everything about Merrill that's very endearing, and I'm so glad that she made new friends in the future despite being such a fish out of water.

I also just love characters who can't help what they are? Merrill isn't the most eloquent or cautious or graceful person, but he is driven to be a hero no matter what, and that's always what he'll do, even when it puts himself at risk, and that's very admirable, but it's also understandable. It's not even a matter of being angelically virtuous: it's just the driven and honor-bound kind of person he is.

(It's also really nice reading about a nonbinary/gender non-conforming character who was always accepted by their family and society! He's small and androgynous, but fierce and heroic and commanding/charismatic to others, and that's just very refreshing to read about! I especially love the line about how "his gender is a soldier": that tells you everything you need to know about what he views as important in life!)