History Fanfic / GrayWhirlpoolSeries

* SmarterThanYouLook: [[spoiler: Hans is actually capable of normal speech and has grand ambitions for the future of Nohr.]]

** Iago’s death is a shout-out to [[ComicBook/ScottPilgrim Scott Pilgrim]] by turning into coins. [[ProductionForeshadowing Around the same time, the author was writing]] ''[[ProductionForeshadowing Leo vs. The World.]]''

* AdaptationalNiceGuy: Leo's JerkassFacade is far more obviously false here.

** Played straight with [[spoiler:Kotaro]]. He gets killed by [[spoiler:Shura]] before anyone else catches up to him.

** Zola. In ''Storm,'' he doesn’t get his chance to impersonate Izana, and suddenly he aspires to be a rapper, which encourages him leaving Garon. In ''Fire'', he makes it farther in his plan to impersonate the Archduke, and even peppers his impression with JiveTurkey speech.

* SoapOperaDisease: Takumi and Elise in ''Storm'' and ''Fire'' respectively. Unlike canon, the diseases are named. [[InherentlyFunnyWords Pelican's Revenge]] and [[WebVideo/{{Vinesauce}} Terminal 7]].

* HeroicAlbino: Corrin's albinism is referenced by other characters, often preying on her self-esteem. Crosses into FreakinessShame with her pointed ears and sharper teeth.

!This series has examples of:

''The Gray Whirlpool'' series is a trio of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' AffectionateParody fanfictions written by P.T. Piranha on both Fanfiction.net and Archive Of Our own. Two of the main route fics are completed while the third is on hiatus. Main stories include:

* BorrowedCatchphrase: In each route, Corrin honors [[spoiler: her deceased older brother]] by repeating one of their Critical Quotes against an enemy in the following chapter.
* BrickJoke: A few cross-work examples exist. While scaling the Eternal Stairway in ''Storm,'' the existence of a "Five-Minute Stairway" is joked about. It comes up again in the relevant ''Fire'' chapter, implied to actually exist.

** Zola. In ''Storm,'' he doesn’t get his chance to impersonate Izana, and suddenly he aspires to be a rapper, which encourages him leaving Garon. In ''Fire,'' he makes it farther in his plan to impersonate the Archduke, and even peppers his impression with JiveTurkey speech.

* BerserkButton: Downplayed. It takes Niles’ mention of [[MiddleChildSyndrome Leo’s siblings ignoring him]] to get him invested in fighting Kamui, but by the time he finds her, Leo’s back to being disinterested. [[MotiveRant Mostly.]]

* HeroicAlbino: Corrin’s albinism is referenced by other characters, often preying on her self-esteem. Crosses into FreakinessShame with her pointed ears and sharper teeth.

* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: It’s not uncommon for someone to brush off an attack with a simple “Ow”.

** Hans only fares marginally better, at least in ''Storm''.

* TheVoiceless: Corrin does speak during the opening dream sequence.

* HoldTheLine: Sakura pulls this off against ''Xander and Camilla'' during the Fort Jinya invasion, keeping either of them from making any progress for the whole chapter. Azama later tries this on Flora, Anna and Izana two chapters later, but Corrin and Azura stop him.

* AdaptationalIntelligence: [[spoiler:Takumi's corpse]] is more articulate than his canon counterpart, who could barely string together a full sentence.

* BreakingTheFourthWall: After explaining what happened to Garon, Azura states that if they want elaboration, they should "Go ask someone else if you want another ''revelation''." She then winks at the reader.

--> Azura: “I have another idea. Instead… we just talk to them. Like people."
--> Silas: “People?! We're doomed! Azura, I don't know if you've noticed, but we're all borderline psychotic! [[{{Jerkass}} Jakob actively doesn't care about people]], [[TheJinx Arthur has the worst luck known to man]], [[FourthWallObserver Anna keeps talking about 'games' and stuff like that]], [[NeatFreak Flora's obsessed with cleaning everything]], [[LawfulStupid Lord Xander would read an instruction manual]] ''[[LawfulStupid for fun]]'', and don't even get me started on [[AxCrazy Peri]]!"
* ChekhovsGunman: A minor RunningGag character named Samurai who recurs throughout the fic turns out to be the Rallyman.

* TheCorrupter: Niles is repeatedly referenced to be teaching unsavory subjects to Elise.

* ForgivenButNotForgotten: Inverted. [[spoiler:Takumi is unable to forgive Corrin for everything that happened, but acknowledges that things have grown beyond their spat, that he doesn't want innocent Nohrians to die, and that his corpse needs to die.]]

--> Kilma: Now, everyone go outside and go to the opposite corner of this village! Then make your way back to me so we can fight! … Shut up, it makes sense!"

* IfOnlyYouKnew: Elise actually theorized a long time ago that [[spoiler:Garon was jumped and replaced by his evil redneck twin brother]]. Corrin and Azura are astonished at how close she is to the truth.
** Felicia expresses relief that Corrin came to stop her tribe from rebelling, instead of someone meaner. Seeing as Corrin isn’t there to do it in ''Storm,'' one can imagine. She also later remarks on the brutality of someone burning to death.
* ImStandingRightHere: Iago claims Hoshidans don't have souls right in front of Kaze, a Hoshidan defector. When called out on this, he uses his position as Garon's favorite to continue insulting him.
** Garon has a tendency to gloat and rant about his plans while in full earshot of his children. This does not seem to bother him.

* KillItWithFire: The trope is namedropped when Gunter sees Garon’s true form in the crystal ball. This causes him to throw the ball and shatter it, forcing Corrin and Azura to rely on faith to rally everyone into fighting Garon.

* KilledOffscreen: Averted in the final chapter. Unlike canon, [[spoiler:Azura's death is still private, but we get to see it.]]

* MetaGuy: Anna has a lot to say about the conventions of Fire Emblem and the Conquest route. Elise shows shades of this trope at times too.

--> Corrin: “Th-thank you… (I’ve made a horrible mistake.)”

--> Azura: “I’m sensing a pattern.”

--> Garon: "Who let you kids in here without mah permission?!"
--> Camilla: "You did, father.”
--> Garon: "What?! How dare I do that without my permission?! Iago, get me mah whip, I gotta teach Garon a lesson!"

** Silas tells Kaze, [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid “Hey, you’re that ninja”]]

** During the fight against Kumagera, Leo hits Kumagera with a bunch of branches made to resemble a fist, causing "[[Webcomic/OnePunchMan ONE PUUUUUUUUUUNCH!"]] to play. Bonus points for both Leo and Saitama being voiced by Creator/MaxMittelman. Related, Leo's only response to [[spoiler:Garon's monstrous mucky form]] is a blunt "Ok".
** In Mokushu, Kaze and Saizo recite much of the dialogue from the infamous rooftop scene from Film/TheRoom before dropping it.

* {{Tsundere}}: Not only is Selena one of many examples of this trope, but she is an in-universe URExample. Her ending states that she inspired its proliferation in Hoshidan media for generations after her lifetime.

* [[YouKnowImBlackRight You Know I'm Hoshidan, Right?]]: Word for word how Kaze (a ninja fighting for Nohr) responds when Iago insults all Hoshidans. Iago briefly attempts to amend himself, but then doubles down on racism.

''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/10050299 Gray Whirlpool Gaiden: Slow Roast]]'' focuses on Xander post-Conquest, and reveals what became of Mozu, who'd previously only appeared in the ''Birthright'' fic.

--> Flora: "Do you know how I've always wanted to come back home? How I've missed the Ice Tribe? How I've never liked King Garon at all?"
--> Effie: "To be fair, I don't think anyone likes Garon very much."

* AscendedExtra: Due to the Astral Plane having an extremely reduced presence, Lilith directly accompanies and fights alongside Corrin.
** Related, this allows Izana and Flora to join in ''Storm'' and ''Fire'' respectively, much earlier than in canon. They go on to be prominent characters, with Flora even being Corrin's LoveInterest.

--> Xander: “Come on, Corrin, use that elongated ‘no’ to fuel you!”

--> Chapter 12’s Archive Of Our Own Summary: “Flora takes the Hoshidans to the Ice Tribe's village, and things are less funny for a bit.”

* HateSink: Iago doesn't even get any backstory; he's just an asshole because he is.
** Hans only fares marginally better, at least in ''Storm.''

* ItsPersonalWithTheDragon: Played with. Corrin has a bigger grudge against either Hans or Iago based on the route, while the other is simply an enemy. Though in ''Storm'' she still harbors a vendetta for Garon. [[spoiler: Though he himself is TheDragon for Anankos in the end.]]

* PartyInMyPocket: Justified. The deployed roster changes with each chapter, with the rationale that the inactive characters are spending time in Lilith’s Astral Plane. Corrin, her retainers, her siblings, Silas, Izana, Mozu (BR), Anna (CQ), Scarlet (BR), Shura (BR), and Yukimura (BR) are the only ones to consistently fight.
** In ''Storm,'' this courtesy is extended to Silas’ parents and Shura’s former gang.

* RunningGag: Mounted units lose their horses all the time.

* ShipTease: Leo is often teased as having a crush on Sakura.

--> Corrin's Thoughts: "Note to self: Yell at Azura later."

--> Felicia: “Aw, how'd I get separated from Flora and Jakob? I'm always standing by at least one of them, so how'd this happen?”

* EleventhHourRanger: Per canon, Shura is this for the Birthright route. Notable because he goes on to appear in every chapter like the other main character units, but he ultimately does not get much screen time.

--> Wolfskin: "Grrr! Take my fur! No wait, don't take it! … But at least try to take it!"

--> Takumi: "Sure glad we settled our differences when we did, I'd hate to be that guy…"
--> Corrin: “Huh? I didn’t catch that.”
--> Takumi: “Oh nothing…”

* TheCameo: Chapter 11 has [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Waluigi]] randomly showing up.

--> Kamui: "You mean [[spoiler: ''Xander?'' How could you forget his name?! How could you not care if Elise were killed?! Because she was! Sh…she and Xander both…"]]

* DramaticIrony: At the Eternal Stairway, Azura dismisses Lilith’s concern of Faceless being dangerous. [[spoiler:This is exactly how Lilith dies in the Conquest route.]]

* EarlyBirdCameo: While it’s not relevant in Birthright, Corrin and Azura’s starting party pass by the Great Wall of Suzanoh (a late-game Conquest map) early on.

--> Keaton: "Well? What? Ya find any good trash or something? Or the Bone Hole? I miss that place…"
--> Izana: "Heh! He said 'miss.'"
* HiddenDepths: While he’s one of the biggest {{Cloud Cuckooland}}ers in the party, [[spoiler: Izana]] is invested in learning what Garon’s deal is. He also contemplates [[spoiler: how he only dies in the happiest timeline]].

--> Xander (to Elise): “Corrin has become a threat to Nohr. All of your 'friends' have. And being in the position I'm in, I cannot abide any threat to Nohr! As the future ruler, I ''am'' Nohr! Whether I like it or not!"

* MythologyGag: Corrin is weirded out by the prospect of petting people due to dreaming about doing it.

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: After [[spoiler:Flora’s death]], Kamui is so distraught that she forgot to take off her shoes at the earliest convenience. Lilith has to point this out to her.

--> Silas: "Corrin, I'm sorry about all this. Would you like to kill me? … Please say no."
* PokeThePoodle: Heroic example: Scarlet’s plan for the resistance is to simply punch Garon over and over, and call it a day.

--> Kamui: “Camilla…”
--> Hinoka: “My nemesis!”
--> Silas: “Wait, I thought Lord Xander was your nemesis.”
--> Hinoka: “I can have more than one!”
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Unlike the Conquest route, Corrin’s primarily driven by revenge against Garon for his atrocities. Flora’s eventual fate worsens this.

* ShipTease: Takumi and Oboro are repeatedly teased, but nothing ever comes of it.

** Jakob shoots down some enemy fliers with his daggers, and [[VideoGame/DuckHunt a dog grabs the corpses and sinks into some bushes]]. This also serves as a ChekhovsGag for the prologue's third chapter.

* SparedByTheAdaptation: Downplayed by Charlotte and Benny; they are very hard to spare in canon ''Birthright'', but they survive their brush with death here. It's also downplayed by [[spoiler:Gunter]], whose fate is never revealed; like Charlotte and Benny, he explicitly survives here. Keaton plays this fully straight, surviving his unfortunate encounter with the Hoshidans.

* TooDumbToLive: Zola confronts Garon to tell him right up to his face that he's quitting to focus on his rap career. The results are predictably bloody.

--> Leo: "Okay I admit it: I really was jealous of you, Corrin. Xander kept training you, Camilla doted if you so much as sneezed, and don't even get me started on Elise! And you know what? A selfish part of me thought that maybe they'd notice me more, now that you'd left. But they're still obsessed with you!"
--> Kamui: "L-Leo, I didn't know… I didn't mean to-"
--> Leo: "Of course you didn't mean to! If you knew, you would've tried to make sure I got more credit. …And then Xander and Camilla would fawn over how thoughtful you were, for trying to include me. Look, you're not a bad person, treason aside. I did enjoy our time together, but now it's over."

* YourCostumeNeedsWork: In Birthright, Ryoma hid his identity from Scarlet until he reunited with his family. Here, he was very open about his identity, but Scarlet doesn’t believe him.

* DefeatingTheUndefeatable: Oboro (and her nameless Basara assistant) have the honor of being one of the few (non-royal) characters to lay a scratch on Xander, defeating him in Chapter 18.

** Kaze and Saizo recite much of the dialogue from [[Film/TheRoom the infamous rooftop scene]] before dropping it.

** The namesake for the Great Wall of Suzanoh is [[Creator/JeffGoldblum Suzanoh Goldblum]], whose dialogue is reminiscent of [[Series/Portlandia The Pullout King]].

* MediumAwareness: Anna is aware that she is a character in a video game.

* HoldTheLine: Sakura pulls this off against ''Xander and Camilla'' during the Fort Jinya invasion, keeping either of them from making any progress for the whole chapter. Azama later tries this on Flora, Anna and Izana two chapters later, but it doesn’t take.

** Felicia expresses relief that Corrin came to stop her tribe from rebelling, instead of someone meaner. Seeing as Corrin isn’t there to do it in ''Storm,'' and later remarks on the brutality of someone burning to death.

CastFullOfCrazy: [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Silas]], of all people, makes a surprisingly insightful observation, warning Azura against sending a diplomat to speak with Fuga.

** Zola. In ‘‘Storm,’’ he doesn’t get his chance to impersonate Izana, and suddenly he aspires to be a rapper, which encourages him leaving Garon. In ‘‘Fire,’’ he makes it farther in his plan to impersonate the Archduke, and even peppers his impression with JiveTurkey speech.

* SeriousBusiness: In Chapter 12 of ‘‘Fire,’’ Elise tells Corrin that dance-offs are serious in Nohr. This is demonstrated firsthand in one of the final few ‘‘Storm’’ chapters.

* ThoseTwoGuys: Felicia and Jakob, big time. Aside from the prologue and then the beginning of ‘‘Fire,’’ they are almost always together. Jakob tends to fare slightly better, at least. The trope is even namedropped in one of the author notes.

** In terms of fanfics, Kamui’s flashback in Chapter 12 contains an expanded scene from ‘’Northern Fortress Training Video,’’ one of the author’s previous fics.

* PoorCommunicationKills: Inverted. Hinata misunderstanding Scarlet’s distrust of Silas, and Silas’ obliviousness to the matter causes Hinata to unintentionally ‘’solve’’ the problem.

** Played with, for Scarlet. Unlike in ‘‘Storm,’’ she’s more straightforward, but only because she doesn’t last long enough to show her {{Cloudcuckoolander}} side, and has to put up with Takumi being hopped up on ThePowerOfHate.

* AgonyOfTheFeet: In the ‘‘Storm’’ Ice Tribe chapter and the prologue’s fourth chapter, Corrin’s made to wear shoes in the snow. Here, she finally gets her way, and pays for it until Felicia gives her a spare pair.

--> Silas: “People?! We're doomed! Azura, I don't know if you've noticed, but we're all borderline psychotic! [[{{Jerkass}} Jakob actively doesn't care about people]], [[TheJinx Arthur has the worst luck known to man]], [[FourthWallObserver Anna keeps talking about 'games' and stuff like that]], [[NeatFreak Flora's obsessed with cleaning everything]], [[LawfulStupid Lord Xander would read an instruction manual]] ‘‘[[LawfulStupid for fun]]’’, and don't even get me started on [[AxCrazy Peri]]!"

* HoldTheLine: Sakura pulls this off against ‘‘Xander and Camilla’’ during the Fort Jinya invasion, keeping either of them from making any progress for the whole chapter. Azama later tries this on Flora, Anna and Izana two chapters later, but it doesn’t take.

* Felicia expresses relief that Corrin came to stop her tribe from rebelling, instead of someone meaner. Seeing as Corrin isn’t there to do it in ‘‘Storm…’’

* MidBattleTeaBreak: Exaggerated into a full-blown ‘‘contest’‘ between Jakob, Anna and [[GoKartingWithBowser Subaki]] over who can make the best tea for Gunter.

* OddFriendship: While they do share a support in the game, Xander’s fondness for Kaze is played up this way, even offering to make Kaze his retainer after Laslow leaves. This carries over into ‘‘Slow Roast’’.

** Felicia wants to see ‘‘[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX I Want To Be Your Canary]]’’ in Nestra.

* TheThingThatWouldNotLeave: Keaton’s ending describes him as becoming this for Castle Krakenburg, albeit somewhat reluctantly. It does explain his appearance in ‘‘Slow Roast,’’ which takes place after this route.

* DidntSeeThatComing: Anna, a character only seen in the ‘‘Fire’’ route, cameos at the end of the first chapter, completely blindsided by the fact that Corrin didn't pick a side.

* ShoutOut:

* ForgivenButNotForgotten: [[spoiler:Takumi is unable to forgive Corrin for everything that happened, but acknowledges that things have grown beyond their spat, that he doesn't want innocent Nohrians to die, and that his corpse needs to die.]]

* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Of the Hoshidan royalty, Sakura alone accepts Corrin's defection to Nohr.

* BrickJoke: Cross-work example. While scaling the Eternal Stairway in ''Storm,'' the existence of a "Five-Minute Stairway" is joked about. It comes up again in the relevant ''Fire'' chapter, implied to actually exist.

* HateSink: Iago doesn't even get any backstory; he's just an asshole because he is. Hans only fares marginally better, at least in ''Storm.''

* LighterAndSofter: Contrast the beginnings of the other routes, Xander and Ryoma take Corrin (and Azura's) betrayal in much better stride. Largely because they don't know how to classify the situation.

* {{Seers}}: Corrin gains the ability to see briefly into the future, helping to expedite character interactions. (It also serves as a meta-representation of how most players going into the ''Revelation'' route are already aware of what happens in the ''Birthright'' and ''Conquest'' routes.)

--> ''Flora:'' "Do you know how I've always wanted to come back home? How I've missed the Ice Tribe? How I've never liked King Garon at all?"
--> ''Effie:'' "To be fair, I don't think anyone likes Garon very much."

* AdaptationDeviation:
** Instead of a legitimate major figure of the four tribes, Rinkah is a crazy homeless woman that Ryoma took in out of pity.
** Mozu is recruited in a paralogue in canon ''Fates''; she pops up at Izumo and joins the party here.
** Instead of Nohrians as in canon, Garon has Vallite mooks during his final battle.
** [[spoiler:Gunter is explicitly saved by Kamui a year after the war, and he retires to Cheve.]]

* AdaptationDeviation:
** Anna is a DLC unit in canon ''Fates''; she gets to join as a storyline party member at Fort Dragonfall.
** Azura wasn't the singer who tried to kill Garon in Cyrkensia, the role being split off to an imposter.

* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: Garon, Iago and Hans are so wildly unpopular, that half the soldiers stationed in Castle Krakenburg don’t even bother to impede the Hoshidans’ invasion.

** Iago’s death is a shout-out to [[ComicBook/ScottPilgrim Scott Pilgrim]] by turning into coins. [[ProductionForeshadowing Around the same time, the author was writing “Leo vs. The World.”]]

* TheThingThatWouldNotLeave: Kaden. Everyone else in the party is royalty, serves royalty, or is explicitly recruited. Even [[TheFriendThatNobodyLikes Rinkah]] is established to be a familiar face to the royal family. Kaden just shows up in Cyrkensia and stays for no reason.

--> Corrin: “Camilla…”

* RunningGagged: Crossed with TemptingFate, [[spoiler: Kaze eventually dies for real]]. [[WordOfGod These tropes were not intended.]]

* Deleted Scene: Chapter 10 originally ended on a gag of Kaze and Keaten trapped together, playing I Spy, and Keaton spying Kaze every time. It was cut for removing the ambiguity of Kaze’s fate. [[spoiler:Since he is later confirmed dead, it was just as well.]]

** Hans is a walking button for Kamui, more than in ‘’Fire’’ since she doesn’t reunite with Gunter on this route.

--> Kamui: "You mean [[spoiler: ‘’Xander?’’ How could you forget his name?! How could you not care if Elise were killed?! Because she was! Sh…she and Xander both…"]]

* DoesNotLikeShoes: Corrin’s barefooted tendencies are occasionally referenced with exasperation. She simply does not like wearing shoes. [[HypocriticalHumor Even Azura teases her.]] At one point in ‘'Fire,’’ she finally explains her reasons.

BerserkButton: Downplayed. It takes Niles’ mention of [[MiddleChildSyndrome Leo’s siblings ignoring him]] to get him invested in fighting Kamui, but by the time he finds her, Leo’s back to being disinterested. [[MotiveRant Mostly.]]

* BloodKnight: Hans has devolved into this. Take a shot for every time he says “KILL” in Chapter 3.

* AdaptationalHeroism: Zola doesn't betray Corrin in Crykensia, instead opting to quit working for Garon. This ends as well as you might expect.

* {{Sexiled}}: The ‘’true’’ reason Fuga sends Hayato off with Corrin’s bunch.