Howard Lotor is a bisexual character from Tails: Noir.
Biography[]
This section is in need of major improvement. Please help improve this article by editing it.
Howard is a working-class raccoon from the 'City', a post-apocalyptic version of Vancouver where anthropomorphic animals are the dominant, sentient species. He works as a private investigator, solving minor but personal crimes and mysteries in order to bring justice to those who come to him.
In Tails: Noir, he gets caught up solving a conspiracy that isn't personal, but instead goes all the way up to the very highest peak of their tiered society- along with a partner who wants to bring said tier-system crashing down.
Appearance[]
Howard's 'Kind' is a Raccoon, and holds all of the features of a raccoon in the real world. He has the bandit-mask facial fur that raccoons are known for, although his fur is white and the mask black. This is opposed to Larry, who has grey fur with a black mask.
Howard is missing a chunk of his right ear. It is currently unknown as to how he got this, however he still has his full right ear in the prequel Tails Noir Preludes, which means he lost it after his graduation from university. It is widely assumed that he lost the chunk during an investigation because of this.
Personality[]
In Tails: Noir, Howard is tough (although kind-hearted inside), depressed and nostalgic. He often reminisces about his time as a young adult, including when he speaks to Larry (whom he lost contact with years prior). As the story continues, he shows a friendlier, more sarcastic side to himself and becomes fast friends with Renee, an investigative journalist. Depending on your dialogue options, Howard can be sceptical, trusting or cautious, however Howard is considered to be cautious overall.
In Tails Noir Preludes, Howard is far more optimistic than in the original. He is also friendly and energised, as well as being a theoretical political/ philosophical radical revolutionary (depending on dialogue choices- he can also be indifferent to politics). Depending on the chosen dialogue options, Howard can also be confident, flirty and charming, or the opposite too.
Sexuality[]
In the prequel game, Tails Noir Preludes, it is possible for Howard to flirt with one of 4 of his dormmates- 3 being male (one is Larry, although if this dialogue option is chosen, Larry will tell Howard to flirt with one of the other 3), 1 being female. Although in Tails: Noir his sexuality is not explicitly stated, his previously close relationship with his best friend Larry did hint to his bisexuality.
At the end of Preludes, it is also possible for Howard to tell Larry that he loves him- of which a choice alert appears stating 'He knows', an achievement named Oh, Just One More Thing - You made sure Larry knew'.' is unlocked, and Larry also confirms his love for Howard. This can be considered to be platonic, however the dynamic between Howard and Larry throughout the game, along with general fan shipping of the two, leads many to believe it is a confession. Whether each of them truly knows what kind of love they are confessing, is not clear.
Reaction[]
The reaction to Howard's sexuality has been positive. The most popular ship for the fandom on the fanfiction website Archive of Our Own is Howard/Larry, and the official Twitter account of the game retweeted fanart of Howard/Larry, to a highly positive response.
Relationships[]
Larry[]
Status of the relationship is unknown, however it is implied that Howard loves Larry and vice-versa. Howard can attempt to flirt with Larry in Preludes, however Larry tells Howard he loves him but he dared Howard to flirt with someone he doesn't hang out with all the time. Howard and Larry lost contact, and it is implied that this is because Howard kicked Larry out of their home.
Pianetty[]
The only mention of Pianetty, a female Raccoon that Howard fell in love with, is at the beginning of Tails: Noir. A mugshot of her is pinned on Howard's map of the City (Vancouver), and Howard reminisces about her, revealing that she is on the run from the police. There are also 'conspiracy-board' style string linking her photo to different sections of the City. This suggests that he is still looking for her, although clearly has not been successful so far. He met her after university, and it is implied that she is part of the reason why Howard kicked Larry out of their home.
Niles[]
This section is in need of major improvement. Please help improve this article by editing it.
Friends and dormmates. Howard can flirt with Niles in Preludes.
Wisconsin[]
This section is in need of major improvement. Please help improve this article by editing it.
Friends and dormmates. Wisconsin is the RA of their university dorm. Howard can flirt with Wisconsin in Preludes.
Freja[]
This section is in need of major improvement. Please help improve this article by editing it.
Friends and dormmates. Howard can flirt with Freja in Preludes.
Tropes[]
- Word of Gay - His sexuality was confirmed on twitter. The creator wants to "un-jkrowling" that statement[1][2].