♫ Character Relations
Color-system credit goes to them. Code was found here, and tarot sprites used with permission from here. I'm also utilizing the Social Link Rating System, which will be explained further on.
: "That's complete BS!" Rise either doesn't know what to make of you, really does not like you, or absolutely HATES you.
: "If you ever have some time to kill, think of me, okay?" Acquaintance/getting to know you. Rise would like to know more about you.
: "Let's keep at it!" You've become friends with Rise! Ranks 1-3.
: "I feel like I'm going to depend on you even more..." You're one of Rise's closer friends, and she trusts you with quite a bit. Ranks 4-5.
: "I don't want to be alone..." You're either one of Rise's most cherished friends or someone she's got a crush on. She trusts you with pretty much everything now. Ranks 6-7.
: "There are people who need me, right...?" You're at the level of family, your friendship is deep like the ocean, or you're dating. Rise's trust in you is now unwavering. Ranks 8-9.
: "I love you!" LOVE AND DEVOTION. Platonic love can be found here, too, for those of the BFF sort. Rank 10. You have maxed out the Rise Kujikawa Social Link!
CANON RELATIONSHIPS
Souji Seta
"I'm sure we'll find someone that tells us something. After all, you were always the best at tracking that someone down."
SENPAIIIIIIIIIIII ♥. Don't let the color fool you; Rise does love Souji, but it's platonic after he rejected her and went the friends route. Despite that, he's the leader and the one person Rise has revealed everything to about her past and her doubts about herself. She'll always be his fangirl, because Souji is very awesome, and they're very close friends. He can count on Rise for support on every angle, and she can count on Souji for almost everything, though she's very determined to be the dependable one this time around; she feels bad for always relying on him. She still follows his instructions pretty much without question.
usedeverything
Rank 10
Naoto Shirogane (DROPPED)
"Your support is the best."
Naoto is one of Rise's best friends, and they've reached a point in their friendship where they no longer use honorifics with each other. Rise takes great delight in conquering Naoto's big words and hypotheses and getting flustered reactions out of her, and she trusts the detective and her judgment completely because she does need logic sometimes. They've grown even closer here, with Naoto revealing more about her insecurities and Rise being 100% supportive. She was the one who talked Naoto through the prospect of a relationship with Kanji, and is more than happy to offer girly advice when she needs it. And maaaaybe she'll try out more classical literature one day. Just to humor her, of course, since Naoto's doomed when they find a good clothing store. Rise still hates studying with a passion, though. But Naoto went home, sob.
fortunatewings
Rank 9
Kanji Tatsumi
"It's like those damn dungeons, huh?"
Rise's other best friend, and the victim of her matchmaking attempts since she became a Kanji/Naoto fangirl fairly quickly. She's been on-hand as much as she can to offer advice on their relationship, and finally found out about what his Shadow was like. It hasn't changed her opinion of him at all, and to her, Kanji is one of the strongest people she knows-- both physically and mentally. She has fun teasing him about Naoto and his hobbies and his love of cute things, but she'd also spring to his defense in a heartbeat. ... Not that he needs it. She knows Kanji would come to her rescue in an instant, fists at the ready, no matter what. He always tries to help her out, even when the topic's awkward for him, which she really does appreciate. In return, she's determined to show people that he's really not as scary as he looks.
conflictedrebel
Rank 9
Teddie
"Did I dazzle you?"
Best and worst bear ever. Rise doesn't appreciate Teddie hitting on her or any manner of groping from him, but she fretted a lot when he disappeared and was the first to greet him with tears when he returned, showing that she cares for him very deeply. Teddie was the original support for the team until Rise joined, so she kind of looks up to him for that, and he's always supported her. He's also her Crocodile Tears buddy and her fellow mischief-maker and mood-lightener. Because of everything they've been through, Teddie's one of her closest friends. Who she will uppercut because she cares.
usedrawr
Rank 9
Yosuke Hanamura
"I think Rise Kujikawa is way cooler than just Risette alone."
The fan that's allergic to tofu! As with everyone on the team, Yosuke's a very close friend, and Rise respects him for the amount of logic he's managed to display. She also knows he's kind of had anger issues with certain things, but overall finds him to be light-hearted and a lot of fun to fluster. And hey, having him as a fan is never a bad thing (unless it involves the torment of his tastebuds, poor guy). She tends to tease him... well, a lot, but she really does appreciate his support, and when Yosuke's down, Rise will do whatever she can to lift his spirits again. She finally learned of the circumstances behind his Shadow and his relationship with Saki Konishi, bringing them even closer together. Has come to realize that he's developed feelings for Souji, something she's determined to help him with, for both his sake and their leader's. Even if Yosuke is still in denial.
usedkunai
Rank 9
Chie Satonaka
"Well, I guess we've seen weirder monsters, haven't we?"
Another close friend and fellow person who sucks at cooking! Who... went home, but then she came back, but then she didn't remember being here, and Rise's hopes of Chie/Neku were DASHED CRUELLY-- I mean what. Just like everyone else on the team, Chie is someone highly important to Rise, even if Rise tends to make joking comments at her expense. She really admires Chie's strength and tenacity, though, and is happy that she's back in Johto. And not just because getting her to face her fear of bugs is always entertaining. No, really.
usegalacticpunt
Rank 9
ROUTE RELATIONSHIPS
Yayoi Takatsuki
"Yayoi Takatsuki, thirteen years old, of 765 Productions~!"
She's lively, she's cute, she's an idol, and Rise is very protective and fond of her-- even when she has to correct certain speech mannerisms or teach her about things like karma. She does a lot of fretting whenever Yayoi's in trouble, but strives to keep the younger girl looking on the bright side. It's not hard to do. They've had one duet and are looking forward to doing more in the future, and Rise finally came clean to Yayoi about what went on back home-- events after that eventually culminated in being absolutely accepted. Yayoi finally called her "Oneechan", solidifying one fact: she really is family to Rise now, blood-related or not.
Her Kingler is still the stuff of nightmares, though.
10yen_idol
Rank 8
Heather Mason
"Pfft, anywhere with people like us in it is automatically a party."
Despite the very obvious differences between the two girls, Heather is one of Rise's best friends here. They've got teenage girl and FACING SELVES camaraderie, and Heather's sense of humor never fails to get a smile out of her. She really likes her go get 'em attitude, just-- don't mention the goddamn Hoothoot, okay. Since the fog/hallucinations event, they've finally opened up to each other about their pasts and realized they had a surprising amount in common. Rise will always be there for Heather (and her hair), just as she knows Heather's got her back, and the two have an almost sisterly relationship. They're still continuing to learn more and more about each other.
heatherusedrage
Rank 8
Ventus
"Because you're Rise."
The (derp) knight to her princess (somehow). Rise showed him how easy it was for girls to use girly tricks and likes teasing him, but tries not to abuse the fluster too much; sadly, he's flustered her a few times without even trying. He was the first person here who learned about the Shadows, and she wholeheartedly believed he could defeat his own "darkness" too, even knowing now what became of him. Still, she promised she'd wait to see him again in a world not this one, and she will. Being Ven's friend has made her want to be a better person. They've helped each other out in multiple ways, and can relate to each other on a level most people can't. To put it simply, Ven's a very important person to her.
Rise eventually confessed to him, but as Ven is a colossal derp, it went about as well as she thought it would. She's just incredibly relieved that she didn't lose him as one of her closest friends.
freshbreeze
Rank 8
Athrun Zala
"Panic would have gotten us nowhere."
Rise looks up to Athrun, because he can keep his head in a crisis and he's always looking out for his friends. She does think he could stand to relax a little bit more and learn to take compliments better, but he's a soldier and that's what he does, so she's grown accustomed to it. She'll probably still tease him. He's one of the few group members who's stuck with her since the very beginning, and she appreciates it greatly and considers him a very good friend. She's since taken on a comforting role to him when he needs it, even if she'll snap at him if she thinks he's being stupid and blaming himself too much. He's opened up to her about his past, which simultaneously surprised her and made her respect him even more for everything he's been through-- it hasn't been easy stuff. Buddies with a hero, whooo!
shieldofjustice
Rank 8
Sora
"I know my friends are in my heart, but it's so much better to have them by my side."
HE IS SO CUTE. Rise adores him, and they're duet buddies! She opened up to him about her Shadow, wondering about the light and darkness inside of people, and was surprised to hear that she'd possibly be considered a princess in his world with the whole darkness defeated thing. She's come to view him as a little brother and greatly admires his enthusiasm and inner strength-- dork that he is, he's been through a lot and he's still resilient. She'll always be there to support him, no matter where he is or what he's doing, and has promised to help him look for the heart of this world-- somehow. And, y'know, tease him about Kairi a little. She's 100% comfortable around him, and would do just about anything for the sake of his happiness.
newhero
Rank 8
Lightning Farron
"We try to handle everything alone. Some manage, some don't."
Super cool and stoic soldier lady whom Rise appears to have the odd effect of making her be slightly more talkative and SMILE (sometimes). They met while on the way to save Minnie, and Rise genuinely likes and respects her-- though she dislikes the fact that Lightning hardly gets a decent night's sleep. Still, Lightning's the older one, and is someone who will occasionally drop advice and encouragement in the form of being stern or rare hugs. Rise's grown much closer to her; she was told to call her "Light", which to her means Lightning's acknowledged her as a friend. The relationship eventually turned sisterly, and to Rise, Light is at the level of family. Currently getting self-defense lessons from her.
HAS AN ADORABLE UNICORN AND THE BEST LUCARIO
soggypastry
Rank 8
Minnie Mouse
"I would love to hear about these cartoons and parks sometime! I find it so interesting!"
OH MY GOD SHE'S MINNIE MOUSE. It took Rise awhile to get over that, but Minnie's pretty awesome for a Disney character, and she's a lot more motherly than Rise's own mother-- something she subconsciously appreciates, especially since the Queen more or less adopted her. Is a Mickey/Minnie fangirl and remains wary of Minnie's matchmaking plotting, but tends to get flustered when she says things about Rise being full of light or Disneyesque things fjhkfg. RISE CAN'T HANDLE YOUR DISNEY COMPLIMENTS. She's perfectly happy to hear stories about her Kingdom and her friends back home, and is interested in how different some of the comparisons are. She views Minnie as an incredibly strong Queen, especially after the kidnapping she went through, and cares for her a great deal. Minnie's accepted her completely, something Rise will never take for granted.
her_mouse_jesty
Rank 7
Hal "Otacon" Emmerich
"... Let me guess. You went way overboard with Sweet Scent or you kicked every single tree you've seen so far."
Rise will forever be grateful for him helping out with the Sweet Scent fiasco. She kind of views him as the go-to person for when she's got questions about most anything. She grew a lot closer to him after she learned that he, too, served as support back home. Rise can empathize with that a lot. She's gradually been learning more about him, and wanting to be as supportive as she can be as a result of that-- he now knows about her Shadow, and has been incredibly supportive about it, while she thinks he doesn't value himself enough. And also he's got a relationship with Liquid, for which she gave him some advice. She only hopes it'll help.
BUT GOD HIS PROVERBS.
philanthrotaku
Rank 7
Merlin
"So... you're not a knight, then... are you?"
Merlin had an epic misunderstanding when he first thought Rise had been entered into an actual fighting tournament, but he was kind enough to try coming up with alternative options, and they quickly became friends. He even showed up at her concert and they ran around the festival afterward, and she thinks he's a lot of fun to hang out with. He... just happens to always tune in when she's getting into Pokémon-related shenanigans. Rise finally confided in him about her Shadow, and was surprised to learn that he thought she was brave. Since then, she's come to realize just how much she trusts him. Thanks to Merlin, she learned that Souji had feelings for Yosuke, and there promises to be a new duo in the realm of matchmaking now.
wingless_falcon
Rank 7
Fuji Shuusuke
"If you don't mind-- would it be all right, if I think of you as my friend?"
This guy gave some good advice regarding the Hayate situation, and they had a civil conversation that rapidly turned into a teasing match-- that Fuji won, when he compared Rise to an otter. They've become sort of banter buddies-- there's a genuinely playful note to it, so it doesn't devolve into a yelling match and name-calling. It's been an odd sort of kind of/sort of/not really friendship going on for five months until Fuji pushed Rise to come clean with some of what she'd been hiding about the goings-on back home. This had the additional effect of Rise completely losing her temper and speaking her mind straight out, so frustrated with Fuji's attitude and at herself for letting it get this bad. They did work it out, however (this is the Cliff Notes version), and Rise genuinely does view him as a trusted friend. Yes, this includes helping him out whenever and standing up for him, though she'll cheerfully insult him because that's just what they do. She's promised to tell him everything when she sees him again.
reimprovise
Rank 6
Hope Estheim
"I've got work to do, don't I?"
Rise still thinks he's occasionally too serious for his own good, but she likes Hope and considers him to be adorable-- not quite a little brother to her, but someone she'd look out for with no hesitations whatsoever. Even if it's mostly the other way around, with him providing logical insight. Still, she trusts him implicitly and has grown pretty fond of him-- and finds his reaction to Leon getting closer to Lightning incredibly amusing.
airwinged
Rank 5
Lea
"I don't want to be remembered for something small, but for who I am!"
Lea and Rise hit it off immediately when they discovered they had :|-faced friends in common, while they are so not :| at all. He's funny and energetic, and they've talked more, so that she's learned why he wants everyone to get to know him. She can understand him a little better now, but is still really amused with the stuff he does-- including not checking his Eevee's gender until he found eggs. He gave one to her when they finally met in person, and they proved to get along as easily as they did over the network. Recently, there's something that's been saddening her when she thinks about him, but she's not sure what that feeling comes from. She can usually dismiss it, and thinks of him as a rather sweet mischief-maker. Of course, things got a little awkward when he confessed to her-- especially because Rise only saw him as a friend. It's sad, and she still feels more than a little bad about it, but is doing her best to stay herself around him.
shenanigaans
Rank 5
Kaito Kuroba
"With the way you keep wishing me good luck, it's like you're sending me off to my execution."
Fellow performer, though he's a magician rather than a singer. Rise will make a note to attend more of his performances, though in the meantime, they'll probably have arguments over who's weirder and more complicated, boys or girls. Teasing him is also fun, and she feels no shame because he often does it back! They've promised to keep up the performances to the best of their abilities. It is the best friendship. However, Rise's still wary about mentioning her Shadow, even if she knows Kaito's probably got questions about things.
Can't believe he didn't know anything about Valentine's or White Day and will be keeping an eye on him to make sure he doesn't end up doing anything stupid, but they really do get along.
bakaitoukid
Rank 5
Naminé
"It makes sense, but why can't it be the other way? Can't we fight to protect them?"
Sweet girl who doesn't seem to enjoy the idea of having Pokémon get into fights-- something Rise can understand. She's not sure why Naminé didn't have many friends, especially since she's so nice, but she's determined to fix that. Even if Naminé admitted that she did something bad, she's doing her best now, which is something Rise can admire. She genuinely likes the girl, and is always happy to admire her sketches or just hang out with her. She at least got her to try fried tofu, awww yeah. It was Naminé who had Rise actually TASTE her own food, thus sparing Johto a whole lot of flaming tastebuds.
cagedstar
Rank 4
Serah Farron
"But listen, thanks for taking care of her while I wasn't here. She can be... abrasive, and doesn't really take well to other people. So it's nice to know someone's softened her up a little."
Lightning's little sis! ... Who sounds a lot like Rise, which she kind of considers odd, but she isn't too bothered by it (now that Lightning's verified that she still considers Rise and Serah to be two different people and loves them for it). Since they've met in person, Rise's come to really like the older girl and is thrilled to finally get to know the girl Lightning's so fond of. In a way, she can understand Serah a lot better than she can Light, and it's not uncommon for the two of them to find something to chat about. Or giggle about, in certain cases, but it's a nice feeling. Rise's starting to view her as a sister too and most certainly cares about her.
wistfulfocus
Rank 4
Marona
"...You may want to be careful."
Rise was friends with the previous Marona, and regarded her as a little sister, so she's having some minor difficulties not doing the same with this one - Carona - and sometimes she fails at not being sisterly with her. There are definite differences though, and concerning ones at that. She's not happy that she's still with Team Rocket, but trusts Marona enough to be careful when warned to do so. She just hopes she'll be able to break free from Team Rocket one day. Doesn't exactly approve of her training methods and finally just flat-out told the girl she considered her a friend, which made Marona seemingly soften towards her. At least enough to hug her voluntarily. Tends to have that sisterly relationship with her; she can't help it.
oxidegreen
Rank 4
Yuushi Oshitari
"I'd say I'm glad Atobe's making friends, but I doubt that's actually what happened."
The better side of Hyoutei. :| While Rise might not like his captain, she gets along with Yuushi very well-- it helps that she's fascinated by his personality, and that they share a love of cute things and romantic books and movies. That, and Yuushi is always there to answer the tennis questions she inevitably ends up pelting him with. While there's still a lot to this player that she doesn't know about yet, anyone who can endure an argument between Atobe and Fuji earns points in her book, and she does genuinely take his judgment into consideration on certain matters. Like Atobe, for instance. Now that she's got a buddy to watch sappy movies with, Rise can't wait to get to know him even more.
sfaccendato
Rank 4
Seiichi Yukimura
"We may not know each other well yet, but I feel like it would be worth getting to know you."
If there's a tennis player Rise will willingly admit she respects without being prompted to, it's Yukimura. He reminds her a lot of her own leader, which is mainly a good thing, because it means she won't really tease him quite so much as she does other people-- not that it's guaranteed that her teasing would even work on him in the first place. He really makes her think when they talk, admitting to deeper thoughts; she enjoys speaking with him, feeling much less like the ditz people tend to think of her as, and he's been teaching her tennis! ... Which means Rise's well-aware of just how scary Yukimura can be, but she's more awed by it than actually scared. If anything, he's gone and motivated her to try her best during practice. Because tennis...? It's surprisingly fun.
Really, for a guy who sounds girlier than Naoto, he is kind of a bamf, and Rise does look up to him-- perhaps naturally drawn to the aura of a natural leader.
loseyoursenses
Rank 4
Daisuke Motomiya
"That's good! W-Well, not that a lot is happening, but that you're fine!"
Nice kid who confused her with all his talk about Digimon, but who's Rise to judge? She thinks he's sweet for worrying about her, if slightly awkward, and they've started to speak with each other more often. Daisuke's definitely a kid with his heart in the right place, even if he sticks his foot in his mouth, and Rise's promised to give him an autograph and drop by to visit him once they return to their own worlds.
soccergoggles
Rank 3
Mitsuru Kirijo
"... I have to admit, I'm surprised your team fought Shadows as well."
Cool and classy and Rise subconsciously looks up to her, but was really surprised to find out that Mitsuru knew about Shadows and Persona stuff. They've been exchanging notes on similiarities and differences, and Rise can't wait to get to know her better. She opened up to her about fog and has learned about the Dark Hour and the origins of the Shadows from her; they're still trying to figure out why things are so different where the Shadows are involved, but found a connection between the two "forces" who had thought they were catering to humanity's desires. Rise's determined to find more information about them somehow, concerned that the Shadows could crop up again one day.
Rise ended up giving Mitsuru advice on how to confess, forming a new bond between them because for once, Rise is the more experienced one in an area.
bufudyned
Rank 3
Yukari Takeba
"Sorry I snapped at you, but it's not something we made a big deal out of in Iwatodai."
HI MY FELLOW LOVERS ARCANA. This is Yukari's second time here and she remembers nothing, so Rise sort of blew her mind when she mentioned that she not only knew about SEES, but that she was also a Persona user. Still, they've gotten along well and griped about some of the same problems, and Rise's excited to meet her in person one of these days. They've since discussed their separate Personas in more detail, so that Rise views her as sort of the Yukiko (in terms of magic and healing) of the Iwatodai group-- and hey, she's a fellow fashion lover too! There's shopping to be had!
usedtsundere
Rank 3
Isa
"It's just... Lea."
Lea's best friend, he of the :|-face! Which was sad, because that was one reason why Rise recognized him. She feels that Isa's got a lot of patience and stamina (like Naoto) to be friends with someone that energetic and opinionated (like Rise), and has started to talk to him more often. It's proven difficult, because he's not a very wordy guy, but Rise's come to realize that's just how he is and she's enjoyed the talks they've had. She knows he's got a playful side. She can even get him to smile sometimes!
lunarbonds
Rank 3
Leon
"Guess I'm easy to convince--after the Heartless, there isn't much you're not willing to believe, at least a little bit."
Rise tends to privately think of him as Lineface-san, because good lord, the man hardly smiles. She met him while he was trying to get his Skarmory and a friend's Scyther to temporarily make peace and stepped in to mediate. She's aware that he and Lightning are sparring partners and good friends, and she might possibly ship it, but doesn't quite feel up to teasing him about it until she gets to know him better. But Leon's a lot softer than he looks, and now knows about her situation back home. Still kind of a friend-of-a-sibling, but Rise is beginning to view him as a friend in his own right. She knows he's strong and her heart goes out to him for losing his world and struggling now to rebuild it. She'll be cheering him on.
usedroar
Rank 3
Cecil Harvey
"Rescue missions are excellent for meeting people. I think I've met over half my friends that way."
A man with very pretty hair, who helped Rise with a sticky situation with her Pokémon and has been a pleasant conversationalist ever since. It's clear he's a very kind person who shares Rise's feelings on never abandoning friends, and she's discovered that she likes talking to him. It turns out that he's also a dad and susceptible to mind control and half-human and while that's a lot to wrap her mind around, Rise's not treating him any differently. He's got a lot of good suggestions and Rise can talk to him about pretty much anything, even if she's yet to speak of her own past.
puppet_paladin
Rank 3
Neku Sakuraba
"... someone told a bunch of kids to go out there and mess around with monsters, and no one's around to make sure nothing goes wrong? Figures."
This one's tricky. The first and second times Neku was here, he and Rise were close friends, so she gets a little downhearted when she talks to him now, since he doesn't remember a thing. He's still very much the same sarcastic and socially awkward kid, though, and she still cares for him a great deal and likes teasing him. She's determined to be friends with him again, and seems to be succeeding so far. She's at least doing marvelously at flustering him on occasion, just like the good old times, and they've promised to fill each other in on their separate pasts, once they've got an opportunity to do so.
em0phones
Rank 3
Ranka Lee
"You're Rise-san!? The one that's an idol!?"
A fellow idol who hails from... a space fleet. Ranka's ten kinds of expressive and sweet and Rise's curious to see her perform sometime, but in the meantime, she's having a blast talking to her over the 'gears and comparing notes-- either about idol stuff or cute Pokémon. She's a little bothered by the fact that Earth apparently isn't around anymore, but isn't quite sure if that's her future or not and tries not to dwell on it. Her heart goes out to you for having to dress up like a carrot, Ranka.
nyanrolls
Rank 3
Liquid Snake
"At ease, soldier."
LOOKS scary and intimidating, but Rise has seen him clowning around with his Houndoom, and knows better. Kind of. She's brave enough to joke with Heather about Liquid being a beautiful Disney princess, but she's not too sure that he wouldn't cause grievous bodily harm to her. She always gets the urge to salute him whenever she talks to him, and now trusts him to take care of both Heather and Otacon. She... sort of had to flat-out tell him that he was in love with Otacon, which has her looking out for the two of them now. ... Romantic-wise.
In other news, she's learned he's quite the accomplished dancer, and has filed this away for further review. Just in case.
boldandresolute
Rank 3
Riku
"What good's a Pokemon that doesn't fight?"
Rise wasn't impressed by his own Pokémon attacking him, feeling that he might have been too hard on his Nidorino; she'll just say that they feel differently about what Pokémon are. She's recently softened towards him after he showed concern when she fell into Slowpoke Well, and is delighted that she may have found herself another snark buddy. They seem to get along better now, and she's happy to offer up any information she's found about the Gyms or Pokémon breeding.
usedhorndrill
Rank 3
Estelle Sidos Heurassein
"Even very good people have no good choices in bad situations sometimes."
An extremely kind-hearted girl, who's also befriended Athrun, so Rise's relieved that there are other people out there supporting him. It didn't take long for the two girls to become friends, and Rise's been happy that they're talking more. She's already helped Estelle out with a bad case of berry poisoning, and came to the realization that she was a princess-- which actually failed to surprise her. Kind of starting to think that she and Athrun would make a good match.
fullmoonstory
Rank 3
Santa
"Well, guess that puts you one step ahead of other optimists, then. Good job."
Amazingly, Rise has (to date) only made a few jokes about being a jolly old bearded man in a red suit-- and got called a smartass for it. Santa is highly cynical and bordering between pessimistic and realistic, which obviously means Rise's got to spout optimism at him at every opportunity. It's been kind of nice to have another snarky companion, though, because if nothing else, it's wonderful stress relief. They do seem to get along and, if asked, she'd say she likes him just fine. Even when he mocks laughs at her misfortune teases her. His cynicism has yet to truly thwart her.
cynicizing
Rank 3
Kuranosuke Shiraishi
"I wouldn't have been able to meet you if I hadn't wandered around~"
Forever going to be known as the Lost Child in her mind, because Rise met this guy when he was wandering hopelessly around in Goldenrod and eventually helped him get back to a more familiar area. Despite the inner nickname she holds for him, she actually thinks Shiraishi's a pretty responsible guy with a good head on his shoulders and a nice smile. And honestly, he's another person who can endure the Arrogant Jerk and the Smiling Enigma, all while seeming normal enough, and that's while being the captain of what sounds like a very interesting team. Shiraishi's just very easy to converse with and is an excellent source of company, whenever or whatever the occasion.
flawlesspoison
Rank 3
Masaharu Niou
"You remind me of kittens. All needle-sharp teeth and clever claws and just adorable as fuck."
The first time she met Niou, Rise only spoke to him in an attempt to cheer up a Whitney victim, but very quickly found herself amused, curious, and charmed. It's rare to meet someone who flirts and/or accepts teasing flirts without getting flustered or... you know, the whole thing zooming right over his head. Despite being sulky at first, Niou did make a good first impression, one that left Rise intrigued. Meeting him in person only furthered that intrigue, and she's decided she genuinely likes the guy. It helps that he's cute and seems to be a natural-born performer. There's just something about Niou that keeps her attention hooked and, while she figures out what that is, she's going to work on getting to know him better. EVEN THOUGH HE IS SUCH A TEASE. He'll keep her on her toes, at least.
futariniousama
Rank 2
Hayate Ayasaki
"--eh! Declared like someone who knows show business inside and out...!"
Hayate is very polite, but can occasionally come off as blunt without intending to, which has made Rise grumble more than once-- especially after the fun bonding when she put way too much spice in the food and almost annihilated his tastebuds. Still, she likes him-- even after a misunderstanding fiasco, which finally led to Rise confronting him, Yayoi getting involved, and the two... gingerly taking steps to talking normally again. And then THAT went downhill when Hayate subconsciously remembered meeting Rise's Shadow. They've finally decided to try again, and Rise no longer feels as awkward talking to him. She'd really like to be someone he considers a friend, but that's still taking some time.
combat_butler
Rank 2
Misaki Takashi
"You seem like someone who would make friends easily, Rise-san."
Misaki was here once before and befriended Kanji, something for which Rise is truly appreciative for-- especially because he seemed to understand the boy. While she still doesn't know all that much about Misaki, he's been incredibly kind and easy to talk to, and that's something she's been enjoying doing. It's also a relief to know that he remembers his previous stay, just a bit of encouragement for the future.
usaginouke
Rank 2
Suzaku Kururugi
"If that's the case, I should have plenty of character by now."
Pretty darn awkward, easily flustered, and he's got some kind of horrid luck with cats, but Rise can't help but be amused by him (maybe because of all of the aforementioned). He reminds her of Yosuke, except Suzaku doesn't even try to flirt or sound suave. He means well and has gone out of his way to cheer up, and she's been enjoying the opportunities she's gotten to speak with him, kind of intent on finding some kind of solution to his cats-hating-him problem. This friend's definitely a keeper.
usedrapidspin
Rank 2
Aqua
"I think he might have been exaggerating a little."
Ven and Terra's close friend, and a Keyblade Master! Therefore, Rise is appropriately awed of her, but still able to speak to her normally. Especially when Aqua got all flustered at her when she mentioned Ven's glowing praise of her. She's happy that she's got a chance to talk to her more, so that she can get to know her better... especially since she seems like less of a derp than both Ven and Terra-- which was a godsend when the four of them snuck into the Rocket base to free the prisoners. Her Swablu and Vanitas' Murkrow seem to be star-crossed lovers??
watersbound
Rank 2
Kanako Miyamae
"I'LL BE YOUR FAN!"
Kiiiind of an odd girl, who seems to get strangely flustered around Rise and gets lost in her own head? That's what it looks like, anyway, but she's always there to give Rise compliments, and genuine flattery's never hurt anyone, right? She also kind of has bad luck, the poor thing, and Rise's hoping that Tentacool problem eventually works itself out. You can't help but like someone who volunteers to be your fan before they even hear you sing.
got_trapped
Rank 2
Akaya Kirihara
"I'm pretty famous in the Japanese tennis league, you know!"
Akaya is adorable, and who wouldn't like someone who also doesn't like the English language? Bah, studying! Rise also approves of his enthusiasm in other areas, even if these two are notorious for validating each other to not really care about homework. With Akaya, Rise really doesn't have to consider her words, which is so damned refreshing for an idol, you don't even know. He's volunteered to help her out with tennis, both with the basics and finding her someone to practice with. It's fairly obvious that he loves what he does, and that he (like every other player) thinks his team is the best. From what she's seen/heard, Rise can believe Rikkai's amazing. She still thinks Akaya's cute, though-- in the little bro sense. He's just a nice guy. What is Devil Mode, it sounds like a video game challenge
attrites
Rank 2
Gemini Sunrise
"You can't get any good in life bein' a stick in the mud."
Rise was more than a little surprised to hear someone sound so familiar (except with an accent), but at least knowing Serah helped with that. That aside, Gemini is a bundle of cute and fun and promises to continue to be as such, so Rise won't mind the puns quite so much. It's always nice to have another performer buddy, and she's got a great voice-- even better, she's not cocky about it at all! She's got a great attitude, something Rise tends to value. This promises to be a beautiful friendship.
lonestarweeaboo
Rank 1
Ted
"It might get me a dinner date with a star if I worked hard enough."
Ted actually met Rise's then-Cleffa first, followed by her trainer-- he's probably one of the few people who learned that she was an idol in the very first meeting. He's got a good sense of humor and gave Rise a few flirtatious comments that she didn't take seriously at all. Ted's been fun to talk to, and seems to Rise like a good guy, despite him being a self-proclaimed troublemaker. She's most definitely curious about him.
souljudgment
Rank 1
Midori Komaki
"I know it's totally inappropriate for the situation, but I love your hair, by the way!"
There's something about Midori that just screams LOVE AND JUSTICE. Maybe the fact that she was so into getting "Mom"'s real child back-- well, she got Rise on board with it, and she's genuinely impressed that the girl makes her own cosplay. She's got a cute fashion sense, and Rise can't help but think that she and Kanji would get along magnificently. As for these two, they definitely hit it off, and this bond can only get stronger with time. She really likes Midori's optimism and kind nature.
pokemondolly
Rank 1
Miles Edgeworth
"I'll do my best... but for now - I'll do my best so you can smile."
A very polite little boy, who was Nanako's friend while she was here-- something Rise's appreciative about, seeing as there really aren't too many little kids running around Route and, from the sound of it, Miles didn't have a whole lot of friends anyway. While she may not know him all too well yet, she does feel gratitude towards him for trying to cheer her up when Nanako left and has already embarrassed him by singing Happy Birthday to him in a hotel lobby. His Charmander's apparently a fan of hers.
miniworth
Rank 1
Oerba Dia Vanille
"If it weren't for Oerba...A lot of things wouldn't have happened."
Perky fellow redhead with pigtails! Vanille's bubbly and so incredibly easy to get along with, and Rise's been pondering about asking her more about where she came from, as she traveled with Lightning. She feels it might be kind of a heavy subject, though, and remains content just chatting with her over cute and girly things.
notjustsunshine
Rank 1
Hiroto "Hiro" Ibuki
"I'm pretty sure it's not possible to know someone who has that many personalities."
It was a tentative start, especially when Hiro suggested that Souji might be a sociopath for having all of his Personas, but he did apologize and Rise made it very, VERY clear that she trusted her leader with her life, so that was that. She might still get grumpy at him, but they've had enough conversations that she's starting to see him as a friend. He at least got to "beyond acquaintance", anyway. Truthfully, Rise's still highly curious about the demons in his world, as they seem to be like the Personas. Hiro actually did explain what happened, but as that was during Fourth Wall, Rise currently doesn't remember any of it.
Makes for a good shoe shopping buddy.
thebelsareinert
Rank 1
Lancer
"The one and only Hound of Ulster, taught by Scathach, that whole thing."
One of... Souji's Personas?! Only Lancer doesn't really look like Cu Chulainn and it hurts her head to think about the correlation, especially since Naoto only remarked on it once. Forgetting that part, Lancer's a guy who's quick to smile, and will actually semi-answer her questions about him without getting annoyed or calling her dumb. Plus, he's just a cool Irish dude with a son, Lancer's okay in her book.
solas_ion
Rank 1
Ryoma Echizen
"If you're having fun, winning and losing doesn't matter."
This is the kid who is apparently the cause of SO MUCH HNGH from the other tennis players, except Rise doesn't honestly see what's so bad about him. Except that he does tend to complain, but she mainly finds that hilarious. He just needs more friends, so she's decided on her own to befriend the kid, and has had no problem chatting with him thus far. She's pretty curious to see him play, just to see what the big ideal is about. Because if he beat Yukimura, he's got to be insane good.
i_in_team
Keigo Atobe
"There's nothing wrong with being confident in one's skill and self-image. I'm lucky to be as magnificent as I am and I appreciate it. It'd be worse to take it for-granted, naa?"
HNNNNGH. Needless to say, Atobe and Rise don't exactly get along. She thinks he's an arrogant jerk (and, in fact, refers to him as such to everyone else) who's overly fond of pointing out how great he is and how she clearly needs work as a human being. Even worse, both Fuji and Oshitari have verified that he can indeed back up his claims BECAUSE HE'S JUST THAT GOOD. The best part is that they somehow bonded over discussing how much of a headache Fuji was, but when they agree with each other, they tend to get weirded out. As happy as Rise would be not to talk to him ever again, she does have her friendship with his teammate to consider, and Oshitari even put in a good word for him. So... she'll at least try to be more civil until he inevitably sets her off again.
atobe
Todd Ingram
"It's kind of nice to meet another musician here in Johto even if they aren't a real one."
SHE GETS THAT HE'S A ROCK STAR, OKAY. Rise has a lot of experience humoring others, and puts that experience to use every time she talks to Todd. She didn't appreciate the jibe that idols weren't "real" musicians and is a little bemused that he thinks evolving makes Pokémon weaker. He tends to have a know-it-all GOD I'M GREAT kind of attitude, which irks her, but they still manage to get along. She's just made it known that she absolutely won't tolerate him putting her down. At all.
ve_gone
Vanitas
"I don't need any powers to kick you out of my way."
HNGH. Despite the color, Rise doesn't hate Vanitas. He was once a part of Ven, and she accepts that. She just... intensely dislikes him for all the grief and pain he's caused her friends, but he doesn't seem to remember being here from last time, so she won't be mentioning any of that to him at all. She doesn't intend to pick any fights over it, but she won't be tolerating him trying to hurt anyone else.
She gets amused when he hisses at her, though. And she went with Ven to set him free when Team Rocket kidnapped him, even if he was entirely ungrateful for it. They managed to have some semblance of a civil conversation before, but they still REALLY don't get along.
Him crying, however, has her concerned. Even if she's reluctant to even consider approaching him anytime soon. However, she's not going to give up her friendship with Ven, either.
subvertio
To Add: Lacus Clyne, Shiki Misaki, Naoki Kashima, Panty, Atsuro
Last Updated: 9 June 2011
Comment to be added!
: "That's complete BS!" Rise either doesn't know what to make of you, really does not like you, or absolutely HATES you.
: "If you ever have some time to kill, think of me, okay?" Acquaintance/getting to know you. Rise would like to know more about you.
: "Let's keep at it!" You've become friends with Rise! Ranks 1-3.
: "I feel like I'm going to depend on you even more..." You're one of Rise's closer friends, and she trusts you with quite a bit. Ranks 4-5.
: "I don't want to be alone..." You're either one of Rise's most cherished friends or someone she's got a crush on. She trusts you with pretty much everything now. Ranks 6-7.
: "There are people who need me, right...?" You're at the level of family, your friendship is deep like the ocean, or you're dating. Rise's trust in you is now unwavering. Ranks 8-9.
: "I love you!" LOVE AND DEVOTION. Platonic love can be found here, too, for those of the BFF sort. Rank 10. You have maxed out the Rise Kujikawa Social Link!
CANON RELATIONSHIPS
Souji Seta
"I'm sure we'll find someone that tells us something. After all, you were always the best at tracking that someone down."
SENPAIIIIIIIIIIII ♥. Don't let the color fool you; Rise does love Souji, but it's platonic after he rejected her and went the friends route. Despite that, he's the leader and the one person Rise has revealed everything to about her past and her doubts about herself. She'll always be his fangirl, because Souji is very awesome, and they're very close friends. He can count on Rise for support on every angle, and she can count on Souji for almost everything, though she's very determined to be the dependable one this time around; she feels bad for always relying on him. She still follows his instructions pretty much without question.
usedeverything
Rank 10
Naoto Shirogane (DROPPED)
"Your support is the best."
Naoto is one of Rise's best friends, and they've reached a point in their friendship where they no longer use honorifics with each other. Rise takes great delight in conquering Naoto's big words and hypotheses and getting flustered reactions out of her, and she trusts the detective and her judgment completely because she does need logic sometimes. They've grown even closer here, with Naoto revealing more about her insecurities and Rise being 100% supportive. She was the one who talked Naoto through the prospect of a relationship with Kanji, and is more than happy to offer girly advice when she needs it. And maaaaybe she'll try out more classical literature one day. Just to humor her, of course, since Naoto's doomed when they find a good clothing store. Rise still hates studying with a passion, though. But Naoto went home, sob.
fortunatewings
Rank 9
Kanji Tatsumi
"It's like those damn dungeons, huh?"
Rise's other best friend, and the victim of her matchmaking attempts since she became a Kanji/Naoto fangirl fairly quickly. She's been on-hand as much as she can to offer advice on their relationship, and finally found out about what his Shadow was like. It hasn't changed her opinion of him at all, and to her, Kanji is one of the strongest people she knows-- both physically and mentally. She has fun teasing him about Naoto and his hobbies and his love of cute things, but she'd also spring to his defense in a heartbeat. ... Not that he needs it. She knows Kanji would come to her rescue in an instant, fists at the ready, no matter what. He always tries to help her out, even when the topic's awkward for him, which she really does appreciate. In return, she's determined to show people that he's really not as scary as he looks.
conflictedrebel
Rank 9
Teddie
"Did I dazzle you?"
Best and worst bear ever. Rise doesn't appreciate Teddie hitting on her or any manner of groping from him, but she fretted a lot when he disappeared and was the first to greet him with tears when he returned, showing that she cares for him very deeply. Teddie was the original support for the team until Rise joined, so she kind of looks up to him for that, and he's always supported her. He's also her Crocodile Tears buddy and her fellow mischief-maker and mood-lightener. Because of everything they've been through, Teddie's one of her closest friends. Who she will uppercut because she cares.
usedrawr
Rank 9
Yosuke Hanamura
"I think Rise Kujikawa is way cooler than just Risette alone."
The fan that's allergic to tofu! As with everyone on the team, Yosuke's a very close friend, and Rise respects him for the amount of logic he's managed to display. She also knows he's kind of had anger issues with certain things, but overall finds him to be light-hearted and a lot of fun to fluster. And hey, having him as a fan is never a bad thing (unless it involves the torment of his tastebuds, poor guy). She tends to tease him... well, a lot, but she really does appreciate his support, and when Yosuke's down, Rise will do whatever she can to lift his spirits again. She finally learned of the circumstances behind his Shadow and his relationship with Saki Konishi, bringing them even closer together. Has come to realize that he's developed feelings for Souji, something she's determined to help him with, for both his sake and their leader's. Even if Yosuke is still in denial.
usedkunai
Rank 9
Chie Satonaka
"Well, I guess we've seen weirder monsters, haven't we?"
Another close friend and fellow person who sucks at cooking! Who... went home, but then she came back, but then she didn't remember being here, and Rise's hopes of Chie/Neku were DASHED CRUELLY-- I mean what. Just like everyone else on the team, Chie is someone highly important to Rise, even if Rise tends to make joking comments at her expense. She really admires Chie's strength and tenacity, though, and is happy that she's back in Johto. And not just because getting her to face her fear of bugs is always entertaining. No, really.
usegalacticpunt
Rank 9
ROUTE RELATIONSHIPS
Yayoi Takatsuki
"Yayoi Takatsuki, thirteen years old, of 765 Productions~!"
She's lively, she's cute, she's an idol, and Rise is very protective and fond of her-- even when she has to correct certain speech mannerisms or teach her about things like karma. She does a lot of fretting whenever Yayoi's in trouble, but strives to keep the younger girl looking on the bright side. It's not hard to do. They've had one duet and are looking forward to doing more in the future, and Rise finally came clean to Yayoi about what went on back home-- events after that eventually culminated in being absolutely accepted. Yayoi finally called her "Oneechan", solidifying one fact: she really is family to Rise now, blood-related or not.
Her Kingler is still the stuff of nightmares, though.
10yen_idol
Rank 8
Heather Mason
"Pfft, anywhere with people like us in it is automatically a party."
Despite the very obvious differences between the two girls, Heather is one of Rise's best friends here. They've got teenage girl and FACING SELVES camaraderie, and Heather's sense of humor never fails to get a smile out of her. She really likes her go get 'em attitude, just-- don't mention the goddamn Hoothoot, okay. Since the fog/hallucinations event, they've finally opened up to each other about their pasts and realized they had a surprising amount in common. Rise will always be there for Heather (and her hair), just as she knows Heather's got her back, and the two have an almost sisterly relationship. They're still continuing to learn more and more about each other.
heatherusedrage
Rank 8
Ventus
"Because you're Rise."
The (derp) knight to her princess (somehow). Rise showed him how easy it was for girls to use girly tricks and likes teasing him, but tries not to abuse the fluster too much; sadly, he's flustered her a few times without even trying. He was the first person here who learned about the Shadows, and she wholeheartedly believed he could defeat his own "darkness" too, even knowing now what became of him. Still, she promised she'd wait to see him again in a world not this one, and she will. Being Ven's friend has made her want to be a better person. They've helped each other out in multiple ways, and can relate to each other on a level most people can't. To put it simply, Ven's a very important person to her.
Rise eventually confessed to him, but as Ven is a colossal derp, it went about as well as she thought it would. She's just incredibly relieved that she didn't lose him as one of her closest friends.
freshbreeze
Rank 8
Athrun Zala
"Panic would have gotten us nowhere."
Rise looks up to Athrun, because he can keep his head in a crisis and he's always looking out for his friends. She does think he could stand to relax a little bit more and learn to take compliments better, but he's a soldier and that's what he does, so she's grown accustomed to it. She'll probably still tease him. He's one of the few group members who's stuck with her since the very beginning, and she appreciates it greatly and considers him a very good friend. She's since taken on a comforting role to him when he needs it, even if she'll snap at him if she thinks he's being stupid and blaming himself too much. He's opened up to her about his past, which simultaneously surprised her and made her respect him even more for everything he's been through-- it hasn't been easy stuff. Buddies with a hero, whooo!
shieldofjustice
Rank 8
Sora
"I know my friends are in my heart, but it's so much better to have them by my side."
HE IS SO CUTE. Rise adores him, and they're duet buddies! She opened up to him about her Shadow, wondering about the light and darkness inside of people, and was surprised to hear that she'd possibly be considered a princess in his world with the whole darkness defeated thing. She's come to view him as a little brother and greatly admires his enthusiasm and inner strength-- dork that he is, he's been through a lot and he's still resilient. She'll always be there to support him, no matter where he is or what he's doing, and has promised to help him look for the heart of this world-- somehow. And, y'know, tease him about Kairi a little. She's 100% comfortable around him, and would do just about anything for the sake of his happiness.
newhero
Rank 8
Lightning Farron
"We try to handle everything alone. Some manage, some don't."
Super cool and stoic soldier lady whom Rise appears to have the odd effect of making her be slightly more talkative and SMILE (sometimes). They met while on the way to save Minnie, and Rise genuinely likes and respects her-- though she dislikes the fact that Lightning hardly gets a decent night's sleep. Still, Lightning's the older one, and is someone who will occasionally drop advice and encouragement in the form of being stern or rare hugs. Rise's grown much closer to her; she was told to call her "Light", which to her means Lightning's acknowledged her as a friend. The relationship eventually turned sisterly, and to Rise, Light is at the level of family. Currently getting self-defense lessons from her.
HAS AN ADORABLE UNICORN AND THE BEST LUCARIO
soggypastry
Rank 8
Minnie Mouse
"I would love to hear about these cartoons and parks sometime! I find it so interesting!"
OH MY GOD SHE'S MINNIE MOUSE. It took Rise awhile to get over that, but Minnie's pretty awesome for a Disney character, and she's a lot more motherly than Rise's own mother-- something she subconsciously appreciates, especially since the Queen more or less adopted her. Is a Mickey/Minnie fangirl and remains wary of Minnie's matchmaking plotting, but tends to get flustered when she says things about Rise being full of light or Disneyesque things fjhkfg. RISE CAN'T HANDLE YOUR DISNEY COMPLIMENTS. She's perfectly happy to hear stories about her Kingdom and her friends back home, and is interested in how different some of the comparisons are. She views Minnie as an incredibly strong Queen, especially after the kidnapping she went through, and cares for her a great deal. Minnie's accepted her completely, something Rise will never take for granted.
her_mouse_jesty
Rank 7
Hal "Otacon" Emmerich
"... Let me guess. You went way overboard with Sweet Scent or you kicked every single tree you've seen so far."
Rise will forever be grateful for him helping out with the Sweet Scent fiasco. She kind of views him as the go-to person for when she's got questions about most anything. She grew a lot closer to him after she learned that he, too, served as support back home. Rise can empathize with that a lot. She's gradually been learning more about him, and wanting to be as supportive as she can be as a result of that-- he now knows about her Shadow, and has been incredibly supportive about it, while she thinks he doesn't value himself enough. And also he's got a relationship with Liquid, for which she gave him some advice. She only hopes it'll help.
BUT GOD HIS PROVERBS.
philanthrotaku
Rank 7
Merlin
"So... you're not a knight, then... are you?"
Merlin had an epic misunderstanding when he first thought Rise had been entered into an actual fighting tournament, but he was kind enough to try coming up with alternative options, and they quickly became friends. He even showed up at her concert and they ran around the festival afterward, and she thinks he's a lot of fun to hang out with. He... just happens to always tune in when she's getting into Pokémon-related shenanigans. Rise finally confided in him about her Shadow, and was surprised to learn that he thought she was brave. Since then, she's come to realize just how much she trusts him. Thanks to Merlin, she learned that Souji had feelings for Yosuke, and there promises to be a new duo in the realm of matchmaking now.
wingless_falcon
Rank 7
Fuji Shuusuke
"If you don't mind-- would it be all right, if I think of you as my friend?"
This guy gave some good advice regarding the Hayate situation, and they had a civil conversation that rapidly turned into a teasing match-- that Fuji won, when he compared Rise to an otter. They've become sort of banter buddies-- there's a genuinely playful note to it, so it doesn't devolve into a yelling match and name-calling. It's been an odd sort of kind of/sort of/not really friendship going on for five months until Fuji pushed Rise to come clean with some of what she'd been hiding about the goings-on back home. This had the additional effect of Rise completely losing her temper and speaking her mind straight out, so frustrated with Fuji's attitude and at herself for letting it get this bad. They did work it out, however (this is the Cliff Notes version), and Rise genuinely does view him as a trusted friend. Yes, this includes helping him out whenever and standing up for him, though she'll cheerfully insult him because that's just what they do. She's promised to tell him everything when she sees him again.
reimprovise
Rank 6
Hope Estheim
"I've got work to do, don't I?"
Rise still thinks he's occasionally too serious for his own good, but she likes Hope and considers him to be adorable-- not quite a little brother to her, but someone she'd look out for with no hesitations whatsoever. Even if it's mostly the other way around, with him providing logical insight. Still, she trusts him implicitly and has grown pretty fond of him-- and finds his reaction to Leon getting closer to Lightning incredibly amusing.
airwinged
Rank 5
Lea
"I don't want to be remembered for something small, but for who I am!"
Lea and Rise hit it off immediately when they discovered they had :|-faced friends in common, while they are so not :| at all. He's funny and energetic, and they've talked more, so that she's learned why he wants everyone to get to know him. She can understand him a little better now, but is still really amused with the stuff he does-- including not checking his Eevee's gender until he found eggs. He gave one to her when they finally met in person, and they proved to get along as easily as they did over the network. Recently, there's something that's been saddening her when she thinks about him, but she's not sure what that feeling comes from. She can usually dismiss it, and thinks of him as a rather sweet mischief-maker. Of course, things got a little awkward when he confessed to her-- especially because Rise only saw him as a friend. It's sad, and she still feels more than a little bad about it, but is doing her best to stay herself around him.
shenanigaans
Rank 5
Kaito Kuroba
"With the way you keep wishing me good luck, it's like you're sending me off to my execution."
Fellow performer, though he's a magician rather than a singer. Rise will make a note to attend more of his performances, though in the meantime, they'll probably have arguments over who's weirder and more complicated, boys or girls. Teasing him is also fun, and she feels no shame because he often does it back! They've promised to keep up the performances to the best of their abilities. It is the best friendship. However, Rise's still wary about mentioning her Shadow, even if she knows Kaito's probably got questions about things.
Can't believe he didn't know anything about Valentine's or White Day and will be keeping an eye on him to make sure he doesn't end up doing anything stupid, but they really do get along.
bakaitoukid
Rank 5
Naminé
"It makes sense, but why can't it be the other way? Can't we fight to protect them?"
Sweet girl who doesn't seem to enjoy the idea of having Pokémon get into fights-- something Rise can understand. She's not sure why Naminé didn't have many friends, especially since she's so nice, but she's determined to fix that. Even if Naminé admitted that she did something bad, she's doing her best now, which is something Rise can admire. She genuinely likes the girl, and is always happy to admire her sketches or just hang out with her. She at least got her to try fried tofu, awww yeah. It was Naminé who had Rise actually TASTE her own food, thus sparing Johto a whole lot of flaming tastebuds.
cagedstar
Rank 4
Serah Farron
"But listen, thanks for taking care of her while I wasn't here. She can be... abrasive, and doesn't really take well to other people. So it's nice to know someone's softened her up a little."
Lightning's little sis! ... Who sounds a lot like Rise, which she kind of considers odd, but she isn't too bothered by it (now that Lightning's verified that she still considers Rise and Serah to be two different people and loves them for it). Since they've met in person, Rise's come to really like the older girl and is thrilled to finally get to know the girl Lightning's so fond of. In a way, she can understand Serah a lot better than she can Light, and it's not uncommon for the two of them to find something to chat about. Or giggle about, in certain cases, but it's a nice feeling. Rise's starting to view her as a sister too and most certainly cares about her.
wistfulfocus
Rank 4
Marona
"...You may want to be careful."
Rise was friends with the previous Marona, and regarded her as a little sister, so she's having some minor difficulties not doing the same with this one - Carona - and sometimes she fails at not being sisterly with her. There are definite differences though, and concerning ones at that. She's not happy that she's still with Team Rocket, but trusts Marona enough to be careful when warned to do so. She just hopes she'll be able to break free from Team Rocket one day. Doesn't exactly approve of her training methods and finally just flat-out told the girl she considered her a friend, which made Marona seemingly soften towards her. At least enough to hug her voluntarily. Tends to have that sisterly relationship with her; she can't help it.
oxidegreen
Rank 4
Yuushi Oshitari
"I'd say I'm glad Atobe's making friends, but I doubt that's actually what happened."
The better side of Hyoutei. :| While Rise might not like his captain, she gets along with Yuushi very well-- it helps that she's fascinated by his personality, and that they share a love of cute things and romantic books and movies. That, and Yuushi is always there to answer the tennis questions she inevitably ends up pelting him with. While there's still a lot to this player that she doesn't know about yet, anyone who can endure an argument between Atobe and Fuji earns points in her book, and she does genuinely take his judgment into consideration on certain matters. Like Atobe, for instance. Now that she's got a buddy to watch sappy movies with, Rise can't wait to get to know him even more.
sfaccendato
Rank 4
Seiichi Yukimura
"We may not know each other well yet, but I feel like it would be worth getting to know you."
If there's a tennis player Rise will willingly admit she respects without being prompted to, it's Yukimura. He reminds her a lot of her own leader, which is mainly a good thing, because it means she won't really tease him quite so much as she does other people-- not that it's guaranteed that her teasing would even work on him in the first place. He really makes her think when they talk, admitting to deeper thoughts; she enjoys speaking with him, feeling much less like the ditz people tend to think of her as, and he's been teaching her tennis! ... Which means Rise's well-aware of just how scary Yukimura can be, but she's more awed by it than actually scared. If anything, he's gone and motivated her to try her best during practice. Because tennis...? It's surprisingly fun.
Really, for a guy who sounds girlier than Naoto, he is kind of a bamf, and Rise does look up to him-- perhaps naturally drawn to the aura of a natural leader.
loseyoursenses
Rank 4
Daisuke Motomiya
"That's good! W-Well, not that a lot is happening, but that you're fine!"
Nice kid who confused her with all his talk about Digimon, but who's Rise to judge? She thinks he's sweet for worrying about her, if slightly awkward, and they've started to speak with each other more often. Daisuke's definitely a kid with his heart in the right place, even if he sticks his foot in his mouth, and Rise's promised to give him an autograph and drop by to visit him once they return to their own worlds.
soccergoggles
Rank 3
Mitsuru Kirijo
"... I have to admit, I'm surprised your team fought Shadows as well."
Cool and classy and Rise subconsciously looks up to her, but was really surprised to find out that Mitsuru knew about Shadows and Persona stuff. They've been exchanging notes on similiarities and differences, and Rise can't wait to get to know her better. She opened up to her about fog and has learned about the Dark Hour and the origins of the Shadows from her; they're still trying to figure out why things are so different where the Shadows are involved, but found a connection between the two "forces" who had thought they were catering to humanity's desires. Rise's determined to find more information about them somehow, concerned that the Shadows could crop up again one day.
Rise ended up giving Mitsuru advice on how to confess, forming a new bond between them because for once, Rise is the more experienced one in an area.
bufudyned
Rank 3
Yukari Takeba
"Sorry I snapped at you, but it's not something we made a big deal out of in Iwatodai."
HI MY FELLOW LOVERS ARCANA. This is Yukari's second time here and she remembers nothing, so Rise sort of blew her mind when she mentioned that she not only knew about SEES, but that she was also a Persona user. Still, they've gotten along well and griped about some of the same problems, and Rise's excited to meet her in person one of these days. They've since discussed their separate Personas in more detail, so that Rise views her as sort of the Yukiko (in terms of magic and healing) of the Iwatodai group-- and hey, she's a fellow fashion lover too! There's shopping to be had!
usedtsundere
Rank 3
Isa
"It's just... Lea."
Lea's best friend, he of the :|-face! Which was sad, because that was one reason why Rise recognized him. She feels that Isa's got a lot of patience and stamina (like Naoto) to be friends with someone that energetic and opinionated (like Rise), and has started to talk to him more often. It's proven difficult, because he's not a very wordy guy, but Rise's come to realize that's just how he is and she's enjoyed the talks they've had. She knows he's got a playful side. She can even get him to smile sometimes!
lunarbonds
Rank 3
Leon
"Guess I'm easy to convince--after the Heartless, there isn't much you're not willing to believe, at least a little bit."
Rise tends to privately think of him as Lineface-san, because good lord, the man hardly smiles. She met him while he was trying to get his Skarmory and a friend's Scyther to temporarily make peace and stepped in to mediate. She's aware that he and Lightning are sparring partners and good friends, and she might possibly ship it, but doesn't quite feel up to teasing him about it until she gets to know him better. But Leon's a lot softer than he looks, and now knows about her situation back home. Still kind of a friend-of-a-sibling, but Rise is beginning to view him as a friend in his own right. She knows he's strong and her heart goes out to him for losing his world and struggling now to rebuild it. She'll be cheering him on.
usedroar
Rank 3
Cecil Harvey
"Rescue missions are excellent for meeting people. I think I've met over half my friends that way."
A man with very pretty hair, who helped Rise with a sticky situation with her Pokémon and has been a pleasant conversationalist ever since. It's clear he's a very kind person who shares Rise's feelings on never abandoning friends, and she's discovered that she likes talking to him. It turns out that he's also a dad and susceptible to mind control and half-human and while that's a lot to wrap her mind around, Rise's not treating him any differently. He's got a lot of good suggestions and Rise can talk to him about pretty much anything, even if she's yet to speak of her own past.
puppet_paladin
Rank 3
Neku Sakuraba
"... someone told a bunch of kids to go out there and mess around with monsters, and no one's around to make sure nothing goes wrong? Figures."
This one's tricky. The first and second times Neku was here, he and Rise were close friends, so she gets a little downhearted when she talks to him now, since he doesn't remember a thing. He's still very much the same sarcastic and socially awkward kid, though, and she still cares for him a great deal and likes teasing him. She's determined to be friends with him again, and seems to be succeeding so far. She's at least doing marvelously at flustering him on occasion, just like the good old times, and they've promised to fill each other in on their separate pasts, once they've got an opportunity to do so.
em0phones
Rank 3
Ranka Lee
"You're Rise-san!? The one that's an idol!?"
A fellow idol who hails from... a space fleet. Ranka's ten kinds of expressive and sweet and Rise's curious to see her perform sometime, but in the meantime, she's having a blast talking to her over the 'gears and comparing notes-- either about idol stuff or cute Pokémon. She's a little bothered by the fact that Earth apparently isn't around anymore, but isn't quite sure if that's her future or not and tries not to dwell on it. Her heart goes out to you for having to dress up like a carrot, Ranka.
nyanrolls
Rank 3
Liquid Snake
"At ease, soldier."
LOOKS scary and intimidating, but Rise has seen him clowning around with his Houndoom, and knows better. Kind of. She's brave enough to joke with Heather about Liquid being a beautiful Disney princess, but she's not too sure that he wouldn't cause grievous bodily harm to her. She always gets the urge to salute him whenever she talks to him, and now trusts him to take care of both Heather and Otacon. She... sort of had to flat-out tell him that he was in love with Otacon, which has her looking out for the two of them now. ... Romantic-wise.
In other news, she's learned he's quite the accomplished dancer, and has filed this away for further review. Just in case.
boldandresolute
Rank 3
Riku
"What good's a Pokemon that doesn't fight?"
Rise wasn't impressed by his own Pokémon attacking him, feeling that he might have been too hard on his Nidorino; she'll just say that they feel differently about what Pokémon are. She's recently softened towards him after he showed concern when she fell into Slowpoke Well, and is delighted that she may have found herself another snark buddy. They seem to get along better now, and she's happy to offer up any information she's found about the Gyms or Pokémon breeding.
usedhorndrill
Rank 3
Estelle Sidos Heurassein
"Even very good people have no good choices in bad situations sometimes."
An extremely kind-hearted girl, who's also befriended Athrun, so Rise's relieved that there are other people out there supporting him. It didn't take long for the two girls to become friends, and Rise's been happy that they're talking more. She's already helped Estelle out with a bad case of berry poisoning, and came to the realization that she was a princess-- which actually failed to surprise her. Kind of starting to think that she and Athrun would make a good match.
fullmoonstory
Rank 3
Santa
"Well, guess that puts you one step ahead of other optimists, then. Good job."
Amazingly, Rise has (to date) only made a few jokes about being a jolly old bearded man in a red suit-- and got called a smartass for it. Santa is highly cynical and bordering between pessimistic and realistic, which obviously means Rise's got to spout optimism at him at every opportunity. It's been kind of nice to have another snarky companion, though, because if nothing else, it's wonderful stress relief. They do seem to get along and, if asked, she'd say she likes him just fine. Even when he mocks laughs at her misfortune teases her. His cynicism has yet to truly thwart her.
cynicizing
Rank 3
Kuranosuke Shiraishi
"I wouldn't have been able to meet you if I hadn't wandered around~"
Forever going to be known as the Lost Child in her mind, because Rise met this guy when he was wandering hopelessly around in Goldenrod and eventually helped him get back to a more familiar area. Despite the inner nickname she holds for him, she actually thinks Shiraishi's a pretty responsible guy with a good head on his shoulders and a nice smile. And honestly, he's another person who can endure the Arrogant Jerk and the Smiling Enigma, all while seeming normal enough, and that's while being the captain of what sounds like a very interesting team. Shiraishi's just very easy to converse with and is an excellent source of company, whenever or whatever the occasion.
flawlesspoison
Rank 3
Masaharu Niou
"You remind me of kittens. All needle-sharp teeth and clever claws and just adorable as fuck."
The first time she met Niou, Rise only spoke to him in an attempt to cheer up a Whitney victim, but very quickly found herself amused, curious, and charmed. It's rare to meet someone who flirts and/or accepts teasing flirts without getting flustered or... you know, the whole thing zooming right over his head. Despite being sulky at first, Niou did make a good first impression, one that left Rise intrigued. Meeting him in person only furthered that intrigue, and she's decided she genuinely likes the guy. It helps that he's cute and seems to be a natural-born performer. There's just something about Niou that keeps her attention hooked and, while she figures out what that is, she's going to work on getting to know him better. EVEN THOUGH HE IS SUCH A TEASE. He'll keep her on her toes, at least.
futariniousama
Rank 2
Hayate Ayasaki
"--eh! Declared like someone who knows show business inside and out...!"
Hayate is very polite, but can occasionally come off as blunt without intending to, which has made Rise grumble more than once-- especially after the fun bonding when she put way too much spice in the food and almost annihilated his tastebuds. Still, she likes him-- even after a misunderstanding fiasco, which finally led to Rise confronting him, Yayoi getting involved, and the two... gingerly taking steps to talking normally again. And then THAT went downhill when Hayate subconsciously remembered meeting Rise's Shadow. They've finally decided to try again, and Rise no longer feels as awkward talking to him. She'd really like to be someone he considers a friend, but that's still taking some time.
combat_butler
Rank 2
Misaki Takashi
"You seem like someone who would make friends easily, Rise-san."
Misaki was here once before and befriended Kanji, something for which Rise is truly appreciative for-- especially because he seemed to understand the boy. While she still doesn't know all that much about Misaki, he's been incredibly kind and easy to talk to, and that's something she's been enjoying doing. It's also a relief to know that he remembers his previous stay, just a bit of encouragement for the future.
usaginouke
Rank 2
Suzaku Kururugi
"If that's the case, I should have plenty of character by now."
Pretty darn awkward, easily flustered, and he's got some kind of horrid luck with cats, but Rise can't help but be amused by him (maybe because of all of the aforementioned). He reminds her of Yosuke, except Suzaku doesn't even try to flirt or sound suave. He means well and has gone out of his way to cheer up, and she's been enjoying the opportunities she's gotten to speak with him, kind of intent on finding some kind of solution to his cats-hating-him problem. This friend's definitely a keeper.
usedrapidspin
Rank 2
Aqua
"I think he might have been exaggerating a little."
Ven and Terra's close friend, and a Keyblade Master! Therefore, Rise is appropriately awed of her, but still able to speak to her normally. Especially when Aqua got all flustered at her when she mentioned Ven's glowing praise of her. She's happy that she's got a chance to talk to her more, so that she can get to know her better... especially since she seems like less of a derp than both Ven and Terra-- which was a godsend when the four of them snuck into the Rocket base to free the prisoners. Her Swablu and Vanitas' Murkrow seem to be star-crossed lovers??
watersbound
Rank 2
Kanako Miyamae
"I'LL BE YOUR FAN!"
Kiiiind of an odd girl, who seems to get strangely flustered around Rise and gets lost in her own head? That's what it looks like, anyway, but she's always there to give Rise compliments, and genuine flattery's never hurt anyone, right? She also kind of has bad luck, the poor thing, and Rise's hoping that Tentacool problem eventually works itself out. You can't help but like someone who volunteers to be your fan before they even hear you sing.
got_trapped
Rank 2
Akaya Kirihara
"I'm pretty famous in the Japanese tennis league, you know!"
Akaya is adorable, and who wouldn't like someone who also doesn't like the English language? Bah, studying! Rise also approves of his enthusiasm in other areas, even if these two are notorious for validating each other to not really care about homework. With Akaya, Rise really doesn't have to consider her words, which is so damned refreshing for an idol, you don't even know. He's volunteered to help her out with tennis, both with the basics and finding her someone to practice with. It's fairly obvious that he loves what he does, and that he (like every other player) thinks his team is the best. From what she's seen/heard, Rise can believe Rikkai's amazing. She still thinks Akaya's cute, though-- in the little bro sense. He's just a nice guy. What is Devil Mode, it sounds like a video game challenge
attrites
Rank 2
Gemini Sunrise
"You can't get any good in life bein' a stick in the mud."
Rise was more than a little surprised to hear someone sound so familiar (except with an accent), but at least knowing Serah helped with that. That aside, Gemini is a bundle of cute and fun and promises to continue to be as such, so Rise won't mind the puns quite so much. It's always nice to have another performer buddy, and she's got a great voice-- even better, she's not cocky about it at all! She's got a great attitude, something Rise tends to value. This promises to be a beautiful friendship.
lonestarweeaboo
Rank 1
Ted
"It might get me a dinner date with a star if I worked hard enough."
Ted actually met Rise's then-Cleffa first, followed by her trainer-- he's probably one of the few people who learned that she was an idol in the very first meeting. He's got a good sense of humor and gave Rise a few flirtatious comments that she didn't take seriously at all. Ted's been fun to talk to, and seems to Rise like a good guy, despite him being a self-proclaimed troublemaker. She's most definitely curious about him.
souljudgment
Rank 1
Midori Komaki
"I know it's totally inappropriate for the situation, but I love your hair, by the way!"
There's something about Midori that just screams LOVE AND JUSTICE. Maybe the fact that she was so into getting "Mom"'s real child back-- well, she got Rise on board with it, and she's genuinely impressed that the girl makes her own cosplay. She's got a cute fashion sense, and Rise can't help but think that she and Kanji would get along magnificently. As for these two, they definitely hit it off, and this bond can only get stronger with time. She really likes Midori's optimism and kind nature.
pokemondolly
Rank 1
Miles Edgeworth
"I'll do my best... but for now - I'll do my best so you can smile."
A very polite little boy, who was Nanako's friend while she was here-- something Rise's appreciative about, seeing as there really aren't too many little kids running around Route and, from the sound of it, Miles didn't have a whole lot of friends anyway. While she may not know him all too well yet, she does feel gratitude towards him for trying to cheer her up when Nanako left and has already embarrassed him by singing Happy Birthday to him in a hotel lobby. His Charmander's apparently a fan of hers.
miniworth
Rank 1
Oerba Dia Vanille
"If it weren't for Oerba...A lot of things wouldn't have happened."
Perky fellow redhead with pigtails! Vanille's bubbly and so incredibly easy to get along with, and Rise's been pondering about asking her more about where she came from, as she traveled with Lightning. She feels it might be kind of a heavy subject, though, and remains content just chatting with her over cute and girly things.
notjustsunshine
Rank 1
Hiroto "Hiro" Ibuki
"I'm pretty sure it's not possible to know someone who has that many personalities."
It was a tentative start, especially when Hiro suggested that Souji might be a sociopath for having all of his Personas, but he did apologize and Rise made it very, VERY clear that she trusted her leader with her life, so that was that. She might still get grumpy at him, but they've had enough conversations that she's starting to see him as a friend. He at least got to "beyond acquaintance", anyway. Truthfully, Rise's still highly curious about the demons in his world, as they seem to be like the Personas. Hiro actually did explain what happened, but as that was during Fourth Wall, Rise currently doesn't remember any of it.
Makes for a good shoe shopping buddy.
thebelsareinert
Rank 1
Lancer
"The one and only Hound of Ulster, taught by Scathach, that whole thing."
One of... Souji's Personas?! Only Lancer doesn't really look like Cu Chulainn and it hurts her head to think about the correlation, especially since Naoto only remarked on it once. Forgetting that part, Lancer's a guy who's quick to smile, and will actually semi-answer her questions about him without getting annoyed or calling her dumb. Plus, he's just a cool Irish dude with a son, Lancer's okay in her book.
solas_ion
Rank 1
Ryoma Echizen
"If you're having fun, winning and losing doesn't matter."
This is the kid who is apparently the cause of SO MUCH HNGH from the other tennis players, except Rise doesn't honestly see what's so bad about him. Except that he does tend to complain, but she mainly finds that hilarious. He just needs more friends, so she's decided on her own to befriend the kid, and has had no problem chatting with him thus far. She's pretty curious to see him play, just to see what the big ideal is about. Because if he beat Yukimura, he's got to be insane good.
i_in_team
Keigo Atobe
"There's nothing wrong with being confident in one's skill and self-image. I'm lucky to be as magnificent as I am and I appreciate it. It'd be worse to take it for-granted, naa?"
HNNNNGH. Needless to say, Atobe and Rise don't exactly get along. She thinks he's an arrogant jerk (and, in fact, refers to him as such to everyone else) who's overly fond of pointing out how great he is and how she clearly needs work as a human being. Even worse, both Fuji and Oshitari have verified that he can indeed back up his claims BECAUSE HE'S JUST THAT GOOD. The best part is that they somehow bonded over discussing how much of a headache Fuji was, but when they agree with each other, they tend to get weirded out. As happy as Rise would be not to talk to him ever again, she does have her friendship with his teammate to consider, and Oshitari even put in a good word for him. So... she'll at least try to be more civil until he inevitably sets her off again.
atobe
Todd Ingram
"It's kind of nice to meet another musician here in Johto even if they aren't a real one."
SHE GETS THAT HE'S A ROCK STAR, OKAY. Rise has a lot of experience humoring others, and puts that experience to use every time she talks to Todd. She didn't appreciate the jibe that idols weren't "real" musicians and is a little bemused that he thinks evolving makes Pokémon weaker. He tends to have a know-it-all GOD I'M GREAT kind of attitude, which irks her, but they still manage to get along. She's just made it known that she absolutely won't tolerate him putting her down. At all.
ve_gone
Vanitas
"I don't need any powers to kick you out of my way."
HNGH. Despite the color, Rise doesn't hate Vanitas. He was once a part of Ven, and she accepts that. She just... intensely dislikes him for all the grief and pain he's caused her friends, but he doesn't seem to remember being here from last time, so she won't be mentioning any of that to him at all. She doesn't intend to pick any fights over it, but she won't be tolerating him trying to hurt anyone else.
She gets amused when he hisses at her, though. And she went with Ven to set him free when Team Rocket kidnapped him, even if he was entirely ungrateful for it. They managed to have some semblance of a civil conversation before, but they still REALLY don't get along.
Him crying, however, has her concerned. Even if she's reluctant to even consider approaching him anytime soon. However, she's not going to give up her friendship with Ven, either.
subvertio
To Add: Lacus Clyne, Shiki Misaki, Naoki Kashima, Panty, Atsuro
Last Updated: 9 June 2011
Comment to be added!