History Fanfic / ImperfectMetamorphosis

--> "Maybe one the humanoids? Like WebOriginal/{{Zalgo}}? No, that doesn't make sense. The Operator? No, that slender fellow's also accounted for. WebOriginal/TheRake? Unlikely, but he may know something. Make sure to look him up."

* TheHero: Reimu, [[TheAce The Lazy Ace]], fills this role: [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits she assembles her team]] with diplomacy, and strive for a better world with heroic means. Of course, it's doesn't mean that she is the only protagonist.

---> "What does she think she's doing?" she asked herself. "Does she expect to find [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda rupees]] or something?"

* AssholeVictims: [[spoiler:Remilia]] beating [[spoiler:Patchouli and Sakuya]]. Even if she didn't exactly do it for noble reasons ([[spoiler:she was more upset about the fact that they agreed to keep Rin in her house without telling her anything than the fact that the two took part in Eirin's experiment]]), they really deserved it. Also, the KarmicButtMonkey treatment that Mima or Yuuka inflict on [[spoiler:the [[MadScientist Asakura sisters]]]].

* KickTheSonOfABitch: [[spoiler:Remilia]] beating [[spoiler:Patchouli and Sakuya]] could be seen as this. Even if she didn't exactly do it for noble reasons ([[spoiler:she was more upset about the fact that they agreed to keep Rin in her house without telling her anything than the fact that the two took part in [[MoralEventHorizon Eirin's experiment]]]]), they really deserved it. Also, the ButtMonkey treatment that Mima or Yuuka inflict on [[spoiler:the [[MadScientist Asakura sisters]]]].

* LogicalWeakness

* BlessedWithSuck: [[spoiler:Rin Satsuki]] currently has the ability to adapt to any magical attack and can absorb other people to gain their powers. Thus, she has gained [[IncendiaryExponent fire manipulation,]] eternity manipulation, [[{{Immortality}} immortality]] (times two), VoluntaryShapeshifting (also time two) and is just scratching the surface of [[SuperPoweredEvilSide Ex-Rumia's]] [[DarkIsEvil shadow powers]]. All this has turned her into Gensokyo's public enemy #1. And as Gensokyo is filled with people who won the SuperpowerLottery...

** Chapter 35: Well, didn't expect Yukari to bring up Wiki/TheOtherWiki, but then again. Yukari's gonna Yukari.

* BlessedWithSuck: [[spoiler:Rin Satsuki]] currently has the ability to adapt to any magical attack and can absorb other people to gain their powers. Thus, she has gained [[IncendiaryExponent fire manipulation,]] eternity manipulation, [[{{Immortality}} immortality]] ([[UpToEleven times two]]), VoluntaryShapeshifting (also time two) and is just scratching the surface of [[SuperPoweredEvilSide Ex-Rumia's]] [[DarkIsEvil shadow powers]]. All this has turned her into Gensokyo's public enemy #1. And as Gensokyo is filled with people who won the SuperpowerLottery...

* GenreSavvy: Yuuka. [[UpToEleven So much that]] [[spoiler:she eventually comes to possess MediumAwareness [[NiceJobBreakingItHero after Yukari tries to meld their essences to kill her]].]]

* WebcomicTime: By admission of [[WordOfGod the author himself]]: the story has currently been around for eleven years. In universe, only three or four months has passed.

* DoorStopper: The word count is over 1 million. That's longer than the whole ''Literature/HarryPotter'' saga.

%%* LampshadeHanging: Well, {{Tropers/TakerFoxx}} is a {{Troper}}...

%%* RealityEnsues: You thought that [[spoiler:[[BigEater Yuyuko]] eating [[ChewToy Mystia]] ]] was funny? It wasn't. Not for [[spoiler:Mystia]], and not even for [[spoiler:[[MyMasterRightOrWrong Youmu]].]]

* WebcomicTime: By admission of [[WordOfGod the author himself]]: the story has currently been around for two years. In universe, it's passed only a month or two.

** On our side, [[spoiler:Yuuka]] reveals that the person she was talking to is the reader, and that she knows about us and [[Fanfic/ImperfectMetamorphosis a certain something that has two words and eight syllables]].'' Though as it turns out, it goes both ways. After killing Marisa, [[spoiler:Yuka]] is starting to suffer from some SanitySlippage. Why? Because [[GoMadFromTheRevelation she realized]] we're laughing at her misfortune, and not in the way a clown gets people to laugh at them. Admit it, [[YouBastard you did.]]]]

** [[spoiler: Considering the Shadow Youkai is the avatar of Azrael, it could actually be coming from him instead. Since Azrael is a fallen angel, this would make a lot of sense.]]

* AngelsDevilsAndSquid
* AngerBornOfWorry: Since many characters in the story are {{Jerkass}}es albeit heroic ones, this seems to happen a lot when their not teasing each other or genuinely malicious. Reimu becomes this after The Storm arc, and even Alice sort of counts, but another big one happens in the beginning of Chapter 38 with Patchouli to Remilia. [[spoiler: This happens because of Flandre being killed (or captured) by Yuuka during The Storm arc.]] As tragic as it is, Patchouli notices she's a bit too over dramatic over it which does not fit her reputation, becoming a drama queen much like [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Rarity]], or perhaps a {{Hikikomori}} not too different from [[Anime/WelcomeToTheNHK Satou.]] Patchouli practically becomes a hero despite all of Remilia and Sakuya's snarking just before she's about to go to bed. The funny part comes from the fairies' reactions.
* AntiMagic: The Mykr's Sirens have this effect.
* ApocalypseCult: It is revealed in Flandre's mindscape, that a Doomsday Cult [[spoiler: wanted to use her destructive powers to achieve their goals (bringing forth the apocalypse). It backfired on them horribly.]]
* AudienceSurrogate: Yuuka's guest during ''The Storm'' chapters plays this part. [[spoiler:[[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou It eventually revealed to be a magical construct used to talk]] directly to the readers.]] This guest makes a reappearance in Chapter 56 as well.
* AuthorAvatar: [[spoiler:Yuuka]], after [[spoiler:[[TheReveal The Storm arc]]]] is this, in a very twisted way. She [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] and [[DiscussedTrope discusses]] it herself. It's very easy to compare how she makes other people suffer for no apparent reason with how the author hits the characters with every kind of calamities for the enjoyment of the readers. Or the fact that she constantly seeks to breed conflict. And we all know that [[TrueArtIsAngsty without conflict, there is no story]].
* AuthorCatchphrase: "'Until next time, everyone!'". [[spoiler:In [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou chapter 31]], Yuuka uses it]]
* BatmanGambit: This story is 50% composed of {{Batman Gambit}}s.
* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: When [[spoiler:Rin Satsuki]] wants to rip [[spoiler:Ex-Rumia]] out of her head, an awesome one ensues.

* BigBadDuumvirate: So far, there's the Shadow Youkai and Yuuka. Honestly, it's kind of hard to know whose stronger despite the premise, but everyone believes it's still the Shadow Youkai. [[spoiler: Then it turns out the both of them are WAY stronger than they appear, with the Shadow Youkai actually being an avatar of Azrael whose a fallen angel all just from it's sword and Yuuka is an EldritchAbomination most likely straight out of a H.P. Lovecraft CosmicHorror. Yukari thinks it's an Outer God while Mima thought it was a Great Old One. Confirmed by Chapter 41, The Shadow Youkai, whose only an AVATAR of a fallen angel is stronger than the CosmicHorror Yuuka.]]

* BlessedWithSuck: [[spoiler:Rin Satsuki currently has the ability to adapt to any magical attack and can [[MegaManning absorb other people to gain their powers]]. Thus, she has gained [[IncendiaryExponent fire manipulation,]] eternity manipulation, [[{{Immortality}} immortality]] ([[UpToEleven times two]]), VoluntaryShapeshifting (also time two) and is just scratching the surface of [[SuperPoweredEvilSide Ex-Rumia's]] [[DarkIsEvil shadow powers]].]] All this has turned her into Gensokyo's public enemy #1. And as Gensokyo is filled with people who won the SuperpowerLottery...
* BlobMonster: [[spoiler:Rin Satsuki]]
* BloodKnight
** ''Marisa freaking Kirisame''
** Yuuka Kazami
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Yuuka, [[spoiler:[[EldritchAbomination which is to be expected]].]]
** By The Storm arc, it even says she loves both the best and worst in life, and she's quite literally capable of pulling off both just for the hell of it. Even the few morals she has are flexible, as [[spoiler: Marisa finds out too late.]]
* BrattyHalfPint: Flandre.
** [[spoiler: The old Rin is like this too. Reisen can't even remember that she used to be like that when she reads her diary after The Storm arc, hoping it's just a phase. By Chapter 39, she rereads through it again and realizes that Rin doesn't discover it until 4 years later when Tewi stole it for unknown reasons, with Rin herself admitting she was a brat and being surprised. Reisen is obviously relieved.]]
* BreakTheCutie:
** [[spoiler:Rin Satsuki]] has gone through many ordeals. In [[spoiler:chapter 24]], she has definitely snapped.
** [[spoiler:Yuuka pretends to be Remilia to drive Flandre towards the DespairEventHorizon, before [[KillTheCutie killing her]]]].
* BreakTheHaughty: Yukari does this to [[spoiler:Remilia Scarlet and Tenshi Hinanai]].
** The ultimate fate of Yuuka Kazami. [[spoiler: Mima's gambit, compounded by her slow descent into insanity after killing Marisa, reduce her to no more than a ''sixteenth'' of her initial self. And that tiny shard is not only haunted by the mocking laughs of the audience, but has fallen into the hands of Shinki. Realizing she has truly lost everything and can only look forward to an eternity of torture, the shard goes truly insane and [[LaughingMad joins the laughs]].]]
* BreatherEpisode: ''Chapter 32: The Aftermath'' is well named.
** In the form of an Abridged Story Summary, Chapter 43 is also this, but PlayedForLaughs instead of relief.
* BrickJoke: Turns out that Patchouli actually does keep her porn stash in a box identical to the one Rin was sealed in. [[spoiler: Said box is used to reseal Rin.]]
** [[spoiler:More of a dark humor moment than anything else, but in chapter 42, Yukari remarks that she might consider Reimu a junior member of Those Who Have Seen Death once Marisa goes insane and Reimu is forced to kill her. Sixteen chapters later, Reimu is forced to annihilate the zombified body of Marisa.]]
* BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu: [[spoiler:The overall result of the battle with Yuuka.]] [[spoiler: In chapter 57, Yuuka attacks Marisa Kirisame. While Marisa won, it wasn't without its costs. One knocked out Reimu and one broken neck.]] Which is a shame, since she won the battle.

** Nyoron, the fairy from GPF.
* CameBackWrong: [[spoiler: When Mima shreds the Strutter after Yuuka overrides it, Yuuka just brings it back...as what is essentially the plant equivalent of a cyborg.]]

* CantHoldHisLiquor: Chen, notably during Chapter 11.

* ChronicHeroSyndrome: While in {{Canon}} she is everything but this, Reimu actually finds out that she just ''can't'' [[spoiler:stand back and let [[KnightTemplar Yukari]] kill an innocent child, if she can choose to TakeAThirdOption]]. Of course, Marisa lampshades it.

* ContinuityNod: Chapter 24 has one to ''A Very Nineball Christmas''. [[spoiler:When Yuuka takes Team Nineball to her mansion, Daiyousei's snowglobe is among their possessions that Yuuka has brought over. There is later a rendition of Lovely Little Tomboy that involves one snow globe, one Team Nineball, and (Would you believe it?) one Rin Satsuki.]]
* CoolSword: Reisen eventually finds [[spoiler:Ex-Rumia's sword. It's described as obsidian black, with nasty-looking blades sticking out of everywhere.]]
* CrossoverCosmology: See FantasticNatureReserve below.
* CurbStompBattle:
** Most of [[TheHero Genso]][[RealityWarper kyo's]] [[LittleMissBadass power]][[CuteGhostGirl houses]] join together near the beginning of the story to take down [[spoiler:Rin Satsuki. It doesn't end well.]]
** [[spoiler:Satori literally gets curbstomped by Yuuka during Yukari's attempt to permanently get rid of her.]]

* DarkerAndEdgier[=/=]DarkFic
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Elly. When being taken in by ''Yuuka'' is the best thing that has ever happened to you, something's gone very, very wrong with your life.
* DeaderThanDead: The Kirin have access to a way of killing youkai and faeries and ''keeping'' them dead. [[spoiler: They did this to Rin's biological parents as punishment for the scandal and treachery they performed.]]

* DeadlyDoctor: Eirin, though supplementing her very weaponizable medical know-how with MoreDakka.
* DeadpanSnarker: Everyone has a go at this sooner or later, but [[CuteAndPsycho Yuuka]], [[EvilOverlord Mima]] and [[LittleMissSnarker Rumia]] are the most frequent ones.
** Also, all the protagonists of Rhapsody of Subconscious Desire.
* DeathByGenreSavvy: [[spoiler: Satori is the first one to "die" (in the sense of having her essence captured) in The Storm.]]
* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler:Rin Satsuki, ever since her BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind, but she doesn't realize it until Rumia figures it out herself and yells at her over it.]]
** Also somewhat implied with [[spoiler:Eirin]], out of guilt for [[spoiler:Rin Satsuki]].

* DefrostingIceQueen: Reimu, whether willing or not. Marisa was surprised about this one.
* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: [[spoiler:Marisa kills Yuuka. Granted it was only one fourth of her, but it still counts. And then, for added emphasis, beats the other 3/4ths in a battle. [BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu and still manages to suffer immensely. Far more than the first battle.]]]
** For additional fun, [[spoiler:Yuuka used to be an actual Lovecraftian Outer God. You know, the ones Cthulhu and his kin worship as gods.]] Since [=TakerFoxx=] is a troper, one has to wonder if he had this trope in mind when plotting that...
* DisproportionateRetribution[=/=]WickedCultured: Yuuka, despite everyone in-universe saying she's unpredictable, has a method to her madness. She only lashes out when someone breaks etiquette. An example being when she killed the couple in the hotel room, because they screamed in terror upon seeing her instead of giving her a proper greeting. Another example being that she didn't attack any of Yukari's backup teams until they attacked her, thus breaking the rules of her engagement with Yukari.
** [[spoiler: Kanako]] picks up on this and manages to talk Yuuka into going home for the day.

* DreamLand: Two examples which are overlapped with JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind.

* DummiedOut: Referenced InUniverse with a dream done by Rin Satsuki.

* DysfunctionJunction: Nearly everyone is messed up. Thankfully, we have some persons like Reimu.
* EasilyForgiven: [[spoiler:Cirno and Rumia are the only ones to forgive Rin Satsuki for what she has done.]]
* EldritchAbomination: [[spoiler:Yuuka is [[Franchise/CthulhuMythos a (former?) Outer God]], and her true form seems to be a flower described by H. P. Lovecraft out in space, going everywhere. Satori saw it, which caused her to blank out. Later, Yuuka explains to [[AudienceSurrogate a guest]] that what Satori actually saw was but a ''watered-down version'' of Yuuka's true horrific visage, and at the height of her power, [[YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm she was even nastier.]]]]
** [[spoiler: Yuuka's true name is Yidhra.]]

* EnemyToAllLivingThings: [[spoiler:The Shadow Youkai.]]
* EnemyWithin: [[spoiler:The Shadow Youkai.]]

*** She find their use of [[spoiler:a KirkSummation on Elly]] to be absolutely ''disgraceful''.

*** She outright states that there are those worse than herself out there. [[spoiler: And considering she was once an all powerful [[EldritchAbomination Outer God...]]]]

---> '''Yuuka''': "She will pay dearly for that crime."
** Yuuka does genuinely seem to care for Elly and possibly Team Nineball, remarking that outcasts should stick together.

* EvilBrit: Yuuka, [[WordOfGod apparently]] has a British accent.

* EvilMentor: Mima to Marisa, causing several other characters to worry.
* EvilVersusEvil: Yuuka vs. The Shadow Youkai. Well, if Yuuka can even be called truly evil if she has a bizarre set of standards.
** EvilVersusOblivion: It might also be this. [[spoiler: Since the premise revolves around the Shadow Youkai, it might not be a spoiler for her to be said to be even stronger than Yuuka, but The Storm arc is 4 chapters long and Yuuka is still alive. The Shadow Youkai is just getting stronger too because of the inevitable power of Rin Satsuki copying legendary people's abilities.]]
* ExtremeOmnivore: Yuyuko. Eats everything... [[spoiler:youkai included.]]

--> '''Alice:''' "Medicine, did you actually just eat that ball of soot?"\\
'''Medicine:''' "It-was-not-bad-act-ual-ly."
* FallenAngel: [[spoiler:Shinki and Sariel, as well as Azrael.]]
* FanGirl: Patchouli was incredibly eager to meet Mima, having read all her books, and obsessively studied all of her theories.

* {{Fanservice}}: Rinnosuke in Chapter 47. Takerfoxx even says he based it off of an Old Spice commercial.
* FantasticNatureReserve: In chapter 39, Mima implies that Gensokyo is not the only FantasticNatureReserve in the world: there seem to be others for other mythologies. Seeing how it has already been made clear that in the Imperfect Metamorphosis universe [[spoiler:both the Judeo-Christian God and Lovecraftian Outer Gods exist]], it seems likely that these reserves really exist.
** Confirmed in chapter 42: apparently [[spoiler:they were created when [[JerkassGods YHWH]] took over and offered to let the old deities live if they agreed to stay there]].

* FauxAffablyEvil: [[spoiler: Yuuka]] in spades. It just makes her all the more creepier.
* {{Flashback}}[=/=]PensieveFlashback: ''The Storm'' chapters.

* ForegoneConclusion: The plan to kill Yuuka is being told by Yuuka herself. This is being told after the actual attempt itself.

* ForScience: Eirin's other rationalization for being such a JerkAss.

** [[spoiler:{{In universe}} when Yukari dealt the final blow to Yuuka, Yuuka saw ''every single reality that we created with our imagination for just about everything''.]]
** [[spoiler:On our side, Yuuka reveals that the person she was talking to is the reader, and that she knows about us and [[Fanfic/ImperfectMetamorphosis a certain something that has two words and eight sylables]].'']]
*** [[spoiler:As it turns out, it goes both ways. After killing Marisa, Yuka is starting to suffer from some SanitySlippage. Why? Because [[GoMadFromTheRevelation she realized]] we're laughing at her misfortune, and not in the way a clown gets people to laugh at them. Admit it, [[YouBastard you did.]]]]

* GambitRoulette: Yukari does this with basically everyone. The author even mentions it himself.

** BlackAndGrayMorality: When everyone's not trying to stab each other in the back, there's always Ex-Rumia and Yuuka.
* GodIsEvil: Or at the very least a big jerk, seeing [[spoiler:how he treated the ancient deities he defeated, or the fact that his angels [[TheresNoKillLikeOverkill have glassed entire planets]] [[ItsTheOnlyWayToBeSure whenever the avatar of a fallen angel appeared]].]]
** GodAndSatanAreBothJerks
** [[spoiler: According to WordOfGod, YHWH is not a case of GodIsEvil or JerkassGods and he was placed more to provide a backstory for the Shadow Youkai. It also must be considered that only Yukari and others with equally negative opinion of YHWH manifested their opinion on him]].
* GoneHorriblyWrong: [[spoiler:Rin Satsuki is full of this. You can thank Eirin.]]
** [[spoiler: Most of what Eirin has done as seen by herself. A defense program that she was involved in while still on the moon created a nearly indestructible monster species that got loose and continued to terrorize the Lunar Capital to this day. Kaguya, upon drinking the Hourai Elixer, was supposed to bring fame and fortune to both herself and Eirin, but instead was disowned and banished to Earth because if it. Rin Satsuki is just the latest on a long list.]]

* GoodScarsEvilScars: Reimu gets some scars on her face [[spoiler:during her fight with Nue]]. Though [[DepravedBisexual Mima]] thinks that they are [[ScarsAreSexy sexy scars]]. Reimu '''isn't amused''' [[DefiedTrope and asks her to remove them]].

* TheHeart: Byakuren.

* HopeSpot: [[spoiler:At the end of the Hide and Seek arc, it looks like things are going to get better: Reimu has managed to [[MagneticHero assemble a team]] [[EvilOverlord of]] [[KnightInSourArmor unlikely]] [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits allies]] to help [[TheWoobie Rin]], who in the meantime has managed to avoid capture and shut down the [[WalkingWasteland Shadow Youkai]]'s death field. In chapter 38, they meet and this time, Rin '''doesn't''' [[PoorCommunicationKills run away]]. They get ambushed by Yuuka, but they manage to defeat the people she roped in (as well as a plant-enhanced [[SpiderTank Strutter]]) by [[ThePowerOfTrust actually cooperating]], which is impressive, given how things have been going so far, and Reimu even convinces [[KnightTemplar Yukari]] to give her a chance to solve the situation without [[ShootTheDog hurting anyone]].]] Great news, isn't it? Too bad that [[spoiler:Rin thinks that Yukari will never be convinced and her fate is sealed, so she storms off to the SDM to at take revenge at [[KarmaHoudini Patchouli and Sakuya]]. She ends up getting trapped in a magical box by Patchouli's IndyPloy. Then, Remilia [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter sells the box to]] [[MagnificentBitch Yuuka]], hoping to [[BigSisterInstinct get Flandre back]]. Of course, Yuuka, having never promised anything else than the bounty money, gives her that in addition to a [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech verbal]] [[CurbStompBattle and physical]] beatdown.]]

* HonorBeforeReason: Meira. [[spoiler:Poor girl...]]

* IdiotBall: [[spoiler:Reimu gets the bright idea that she can talk Rin Satsuki into compliance, or at least more willing to accept help. Rin Satsuki's paranoia and madness, unfortunately, just make things worse, forcing Mima to save Reimu. {{Tropers/TakerFoxx}} openly admits that he's doesn't usually like this {{Trope}} unless they are well written.]]
** VillainBall: Telling Yukari [[spoiler:how you learned of her assassination plan? Really, Yuuka? Really?]]
* IdiotSavant: Utsuho and her nuclear fusion.

* TheInfiltration: [[spoiler: Yuuka manages to pull this off with ''spores.'']]
* InnocentInnuendo: It's a misunderstanding. Really!

** Chapter 47 is like this too, when Reimu thinks Marisa and Mima [[spoiler: are having sex.]] Marisa is actually just exercising though. [[spoiler: In a way it's DoubleSubverted because in the past, Reimu actually DID witness her having sex once quoted as being to "Reimu's disgust, Marisa's delight, and a poor farmer boy's absolute horror."]]

* ItsAllMyFault: Reisen's self-esteem was quite low to begin with, but after Mima's cruel BreakingSpeech, she snaps in chapter 45. Luckily, [[TheHeart Byakuren]] is always ready to help her get a grip on herself.
** Remilia was feeling quite guilty after [[spoiler: Yuuka took Flandre away and after her plan to take her back (by giving her Rin Satsuki, no less!) failed, but she is broken after Yukari's BreakingSpeech and after realizing that while she was mourning Flandre, things got FromBadToWorse and she accidentally ruined Reimu's plans to solve everything pacifically. Hearing Reisen calling her and Sakuya out of it does not help.]]

* JerkassGods: Some deities also are this trope.
* JerkassHasAPoint: [[spoiler: Tenshi]] in Chapter 15. [[spoiler: During a council meeting, Tenshi makes a point that while magical attacks may not work on the Shadow Youkai, physical attacks might, since Suika seemed to have done the most damage. Kanako even says "As much as I hate to admit it, she has a point."]]

* JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind: Rumia had done this in the ''Deep Within'' chapters. Kaguya, Mokou [[spoiler:and the Shadow Youkai]] are doing their own one in ''IM: Rhapsody of Subconscious Desire''.
* KarmaHoudini: Mima is a prime example: despite everything she's done, she is still free and hasn't suffered any consequence whatsoever. She even [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded it]] herself.
** Another example would be [[spoiler:The Asakura sisters and ''especially'' Eirin. While the Asakura sisters later in the story are on the receiving end of a ButtMonkey treatment and Sakuya is forced with Remilia into exile at the Hakurei Temple when she gets called out by Reisen. Eirin also seems this, at first, but her case it's a bit of a [[SubvertedTrope subversion]]. Yes, she never gets called out on it, despite her being the one most involved with the Satsuki experiment, but it's shown at a point in the story that she's been [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone consumed by remorse]] for all the nine years after the incident, and has never stopped trying to find a cure to undo Rin's transformation. It's actually a very humanizing moment]].
** [[spoiler: Initially, it looks like Sakuya and Patchouli would be this, having participated on the experiment that led to Rin's horrific [[FateWorseThanDeath condition]], but later on, the latter was brutally murdered by Mima as part of her revenge for Marisa's death, and Sakuya's survival was more of a CruelMercy, as she's forced to confront her mistress with the fact two of her closest friends crossed the MoralEventHorizon under her roof, one of them is dead, and her sister has abandoned her and has no intentions to return.]]
* KickTheDog: [[spoiler: Yuuka makes sure to reduce Flandre to a wreck by giving her a ReasonYouSuckSpeech using her sister's voice before piercing a stake in her heart.]]
* KillTheCutie: [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope Subverted]], but still a reader punch. Yuuka pierces Flandre's heart with a wood stake. Thanks to Youkai Immortality, there is her essence left. And then, Yuuka seals her.]]
* {{Knight in Sour Armor}}: Byakuren knows that her ideals won't be quite achievable, not to mention how the rest of Gensokyo lives, yet, she doesn't renounce her ideals, living by them while accepting reality,however, she is one of the more polite examples.
** Reimu is a more classic exemple: she is definitely more jaded and cynical than Byakuren, and keeps a cold and harsh façade ([[DefrostingIceQueen at least initially]]), but after [[spoiler:Reisen asked her to help Rin]], she finds out that she simply can't [[spoiler:stand on the sidelines watching while everyone tries to kill Rin because they think she's too dangerous to be let alive]]. This is also [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] often by Marisa:
--> '''Marisa''': "But still. You do have a really bad hero complex. Sure, you bitch up a storm every time you gotta go outta your way to help someone, but you still do it, ze. It's who you are."

* KirkSummation: Byakuren's shtick - she even manages to convince [[spoiler:[[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids Kanako]]]].
** All her speeches must have rubbed out at least a bit on [[spoiler:Reimu]], if what happens in [[spoiler:Chapter 42]] is of any indication.
* LampshadeHanging: Well, {{Tropers/TakerFoxx}} is a {{Troper}}...

** Yukari did this to [[spoiler:the Shadow Youkai]].
** [[spoiler:Ex-Rumia does this to Rumia at the end of the latter's JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind. {{Tropers/TakerFoxx}} admits that this may be seen as a DeusExMachina, but also goes on to say that it was too soon in the story for Rumia to do much about it.]]

--> '''Marisa:''' "... Yukari sapped my mojo like the cheap bitch she is and sicced her talking monkey on me?"\\
'''Reimu:''' "Yukari has a monkey?"\\
'''Mima:''' "She means Kotohime Sonozika."\\
'''Reimu:''' "Oh."\\
* LogicalWeakness[=/=]AchillesHeel
--> '''Elly''' (while fighting Youmu and Yuyuko): "Even in this world, where all rules are lightly enforced, there are certain predator-prey constants. Fire will burn, wolves will prey upon rabbits, scissors will beat paper, and against ghosts, Shinigami will always, always win. It's the circle of life and death."
* LovableSexManiac: Marisa and, surprisingly, [[spoiler:Genji]].
** [[spoiler: Actually, considering the frequent use of LampshadeHanging and ShoutOut used in the story, Genji being a DirtyOldMan wouldn't be too surprising.]]
* LovecraftianSuperpower:
** [[spoiler:Originally, Rin can adapt (slowly) to any magical projectile. Then, at the cost of her body, she gains the power of MegaManning. By absorbing other people in a gruesome way.]]
** [[spoiler:When Yukari poisoned the ground to prevent Yuuka from growing plants in the battle field for her to exploit, Yuuka brought them in by useing herself as the carrier. {{Justified|Trope}}, due to being an [[EldritchAbomination Outer God,]] albet an extremly weakened one.]]
* MadScientist:
** Eirin, of course. [[spoiler:She wanted to do some experiments and studies on her pet's adopted daughter. It created the BlobMonster.]]
** The Asakura Sisters, to a slight degree.
** Mima is hinted to be the magical version of this.

* ManipulativeBastard: Reimu sees Yukari as this, and not without reason.
** Remilia tries to be this to Yukari. [[spoiler:It doesn't work out.]]

* MeaningfulEcho: "Reimu, I may be an idealist. [[GoodIsNotDumb That doesn't mean I'm an idiot]]"

* MindScrew
** Rumia's dream sequence is pretty damn weird, especially considering [[WordOfGod every detail is meaningful]].
** The AuthorAvatar entry, though, really takes the cake.
* MoralityPet: Team Nineball to Yuuka.
** Also, it is mentioned briefly that Alice might be this for Marisa. And, debatably, Rinnosuke.
* MoodWhiplash: Done at the end of chapter one. Done each time we have a silly event in the middle of a serious event.
** [[Tropers/TakerFoxx TakerFoxx]] admits that [[spoiler: when Yuuka and Yukari are out of the picture]] Gensokyo can be a silly place.

* MotorMouth: Chen seems to talk this way a lot.

* NotSoOmniscientCouncilOfBickering: The Ring Leaders. Yukari thinks she is the ReasonableAuthorityFigure among them.
* OCStandIn: The DummiedOut Rin Satsuki.
* OffingTheOffspring: [[spoiler: The Kirin society strictly, ''strictly'' controls who gets born when. As in, conception has to go through bureaucracy first. ''Literally''. Rin? She wasn't just born out of [[ButWeUsedACondom misgauging]]; she was the result of a noble child's affair with a commoner, with the elopement occurring ''right'' when an ArrangedMarriage was supposed to be finalized. And let's face it--to the Kirin, illegitimate children are a ''severe'' abomination. Despite what Reisen might have hoped, because of the layers of Things Meant to Never Happen, not only does Kirin society at large not want Rin back, '''''they want her dead.''''']]
* OhCrap: Everyone who faces Ex-Rumia or Yuuka has ''at least'' one of these reactions. And on a few occasions hearing the latter's ''name'' is enough to provoke one.

* OneSidedArmWrestling: [[spoiler:Yuuka was just playing with Ran and, after some talking, lets Ran "win", breaking Ran's arm off in the process. In fact, Ran still obtains what she has came to, but still...]]

** Jun is another example.
* OurAngelsAreDifferent: With a whole explanation of why they are different.
* OutOfCharacterAlert: [[spoiler: A big part of how Reimu catches on to the fact that "Yukari" is actually an impostor in ch. 39; since when does Yukari speak in such a grandiose fashion?!]]

-->'''Sariel''': "Do not refer to Him as he. Refer to Him as He. With a capital H."
-->'''Reimu''': "What? How in the flying hell am I supposed to pronounce a capital letter? And how can you tell if I am pronouncing a capital letter? It all sounds exactly ''the same''!"

* PersonOfMassDestruction: [[spoiler:Rin Satsuki,]] as well as the series' usual suspects.

* PoliceAreUseless: [[ZigZaggingTrope Played With]]. Kotohime and the GPF are kinda serious and 'efficient', in spite of gathering some eccentric characters, but they have to deal with people like [[PersonOfMassDestruction Marisa]] and Yuuka.

* PrecisionFStrike: [[spoiler:Satori in the epilogue. A small part of Yukari thinks that everything that happened over the course of the fic might've been WorthIt just to hear Satori curse.]]
* PromotionToParent: Reisen in the backstory.
* TheProtagonist[=/=]{{Deuteragonist}}: The main characters are Rumia, Reimu Hakurei, Yukari Yakumo and Rin Satsuki.
* RapeAsDrama: It's heavily implied (if not outright stated) [[DateRape Yuuka's raped several people before via placing substances in their tea.]] Wriggle knows this first-hand, apparently. If that's not enough, Yuuka also briefly plays with the idea of raping Kotohime while the latter is unconscious, only to decide against it when she starts to wake up.
** She also [[PaedoHunt loves children "in more ways than one"]].

* RealityEnsues: You thought that [[spoiler:[[BigEater Yuyuko]] eating [[ChewToy Mystia]] ]] was funny? It wasn't. Not for [[spoiler:Mystia]], and not even for [[spoiler:[[MyMasterRightOrWrong Youmu]].]]
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Yukari likes to ''think'' she's this, and that [[SurroundedByIdiots everyone around her]] is a shortsighted idiot. Unluckily, while the Ringleaders aren't exactly the image of open-mindedness and selflesness, [[WrongGenreSavvy she's not much better]]: her [[KnightTemplar arrogant attitude]] actually caused nearly as many problems as Team 9.

* SanitySlippage: [[spoiler: After killing Marisa by cheating in a fair fight, Yuuka is taunted by Marisa's last words and starts distrusting everyone. It goes to the point that she punishes Team 9 by locking them underground just for a minor offense, and she starts dreaming of Marisa slicing her into pieces while laughing mockingly.]]

* [[spoiler:{{Satan}} a.k.a Lucifer: Implied to be the leader of the Angels that rebelled. Azrael was implied to be almost as bad as it was, but was too busy with killing everything it could to take control itself.]]
* ScienceIsWrong: If you ask Reimu, in any case. And, this being Gensokyo and all, she might be right. [[spoiler:Blame Eirin.]]

* SociopathicHero[=/=]NominalHero: Mima, not quite having gotten over her EvilOverlord tendencies but still firmly on the heroes' (or, at least, Marisa's) side. Would easily qualify for TokenEvilTeammate, except that her side has some other very morally grey characters. Much to Reimu's dismay, Marisa takes after her in this aspect, if her encounter with Kotohime is any indication.
* ShadowArchetype: Mima to Marisa. Apparently, Marisa takes after Mima a lot, so they are similar in many ways, such as their love of [[BloodKnight fight]] and [[StuffBlowingUp explosions]], their [[TheTease flirtatious]] [[AnythingThatMoves behavior]], and their [[TheNicknamer calling everyone with nicknames]]. But where Marisa is straightforward, friendly, boisterous but well-meaning and certainly not a cold-blooded killer, Mima is sneaky, [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative]], ruthless and has absolutely no qualms about killing or horribly maiming anyone who gets in her way. Reimu's concerns about Marisa becoming like Mima certainly aren't unfounded.

** Despite this trope being in effect, there are still many good jokes to be found in the entirety of the story and its spin-offs, lightening the mood every now and then.

* StraightMan: Youmu takes this role in Chapter 27.
* SuperpoweredEvilSide: Ex-Rumia, [[spoiler:AKA the Shadow Youkai]].

* TechnicalPacifist: Byakuren, wavering between this and ActualPacifist.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Yuuka gives a very cruel one to [[spoiler:[[ButtMonkey Remilia]] at the end of chapter 42]]. Especially cruel because she [[spoiler:mocks Remilia about Flandre's "death", rubbing salt in the wound.]]
* [[spoiler: ThenLetMeBeEvil]]: [[spoiler: Rin Satsuki to an extent in Chapter 40. She actually sucked in Mamizou on purpose partly because she wanted to, not just because she needed her shapeshifting powers.]]

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: {{Invoked}} by Mima on [[spoiler:Reisen]].

** Utsuho, after [[spoiler: her Third Leg was broken. Only temporarily, though.]]
* WaveMotionGun: ''And the Sun Rises Red''.

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Yukari, with emphasis on Extreme. Views on exactly how extreme or sympathetic she is varies among readers, but she is certainly capable of some very morally grey acts for (in her mind) the greater good of Gensokyo.
** As an example, Yukari pulls a (fully crewed) oil tanker off Earth and blows it up as a weapon against Yuuka.

* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: {{Subverted}} with [[spoiler:Rin Satsuki]], since that almost everyone who at least know about her backstory believes her to be this, with Byakuren initially being the only exception. In chapter 12, Eirin even asked Reisen what she thought would happen if "she stumbled upon some human family out on a picnic", while it is shown later in the story that when [[spoiler:Rin]] does stumble upon a helpless human, eating her by mistake, she promptly reforms her body and runs away apologising. Though it is understandable why everyone thought this after the battle of Eientei, as [[spoiler:she was under the Shadow Youkai's control at that time]].
** [[spoiler: That doesn't stop her from wanting to go "full bad-guy" if she has too. At the very least, it's pretty tempting. Despite Reimu trying to help her because of Byakuren and Reisen, even she doesn't believe she's that good of a person, yet she condescendingly yet sympathetically thinks of her as a kid. Technically, she's actually about 19.]]

* WroteTheBook: [[MemeticBadass Mima]] practically wrote the book about [[AWizardDidIt cheating]] [[MagicAIsMagicA with magic]]!

* AsteroidsMonster: [[spoiler:Kaguya herself.]]
** In the finale, [[spoiler:Mokou as well.]]
* BystanderSyndrome: [[spoiler:Kaguya's subconscious, when agreeing to let Rumia break free, says it's someone else's problem.]]

* TheCameo: [[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica Oktavia]] from Fanfic/ResonanceDays appears in a fish tank in Prime Minister Kaguya's office.
* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: [[spoiler: Kaguya's imagination turns Mokou into an IdolSinger]]
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Mokou's and Kaguya's are explored.
* DecapitationPresentation: [[spoiler: Mokou's brother]], in a flashback.

* [[spoiler:ExpendableClone]]: Rumia's opinion about Kaguya once she starts losing her temper. Also, [[spoiler:Mokou's plan for the finale]].

* [[spoiler:IdolSinger]]: In Kaguyaland, [[spoiler:Mokou]] is one.
* [[spoiler:IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight]]: Mokou's plan for the finale, twice.

* JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind: Literally, as that's where Rumia thinks they need to go to get out.

* LipstickLesbian: Kaguya

* RecycledInSpace: Again, [[spoiler:'''lunar''' sand worm.]]
* RememberedICouldFly: In chapter 4, [[spoiler:Ex-Rumia]] and Mokou are going down a steep path, and her companion has to remind Mokou that she doesn't have to descend on foot. {{Justified|Trope}} in that Mokou's flight had been disabled before, on two separate occasions (in chapters 1 and 2).
** She does it again during the very next encounter, much to her embarassment.
* SandWorm: [[spoiler:The dreadful velmick is a bioengineered sand worm. A lunar sand worm.]]
* ScrewYourself

* ChristmasSpecial
* [[spoiler:KarmaHoudini: Averted. The tarantula youkai who steals Daiyousei's money and has her kicked out of the Youkai Market later harasses Cirno and gets frozen for it in ''Imperfect Metamorphosis'' chapter 4. And when he tries to get back at Cirno in ''Imperfect Metamorphosis'' chapter 15, Yuuka shows up and casually vaporizes him.]]
* {{Prequel}}

* ShoutOut: It's basically one long shout out to Franchise/StarTrek.

* {{Gonk}}: Roccio.

* ApocalypseCult: It is revealed in Flandre's mindscape, that a Doomsday Cult [[spoiler: wanted to use her destructive powers to achieve their goals (bring forth the apocalypse). It backfired on them horribly.]]

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Yuuka repeatedly she tries to express her... standards:

* DoorStopper: The word count is over 900 thousand. That's longer than any three ''Literature/HarryPotter'' books.

* JerkWithAHeartofGold: Reimu and Marisa. During Chapter 32 called The Aftermath after The Storm arc, Reimu is actually starting to care about people more which surprises even her. Marisa on the other hand despite taking lessons from her EvilMentor Mima has a lot of standards, such as caring for her friends like Alice. Heck, she even considers Yuyuko and Youmu as friends. Also, when Reimu visited Marisa and Mima when Marisa was sick, they actually laughed at how Reimu was worried about them, and Marisa felt bad to see Reimu having to leave so soon since there's a lot of people she had to visit (or felt like she had to, much to her annoyance.) It's actually pretty damn heartwarming.

* [[spoiler:KillTheCutie: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]], but still a reader punch. Yuuka pierces Flandre's heart with a wood stake. Thanks to Youkai Immortality, there is her essence left. And then, Yuuka seals her.]]