"Some things don't change depending on the timeline. Others do. In this 2205, all seems well until one night changes everything."
The Red Web of Fate
is a Touken Ranbu fanfiction by Chromata. It follows several characters leading what appear to be parallel lives until they receive an invitation to a mysterious meeting. What they learn from the meeting changes their futures and perceptions of themselves forever; romance, budding friendships, intrigue, and chaos ensue.
Tropes include:
- Abusive Parents: The Kunihiro parents, if anything Horikawa and Yamanbagiri have to say or what they did to Chougi say anything.
- Alcoholic Parent: Mikaze's father, to the point that Mikaze tries to avoid the family apartment's kitchen because it smells like booze.
- Alternate Universe Fic: A combination of the classic Coffee Shop AU Fic, a university AU, and a modern AU. Certain minor characters attend high school, although that isn't further explored.
- Angry Collar Grab: Yamatonokami and Izuminokami both do this to Mutsunokami at the end of the first meeting, as they're not too pleased that Mutsunokami outed everyone there.
- The B Grade: Horikawa, in his first chapter. He's disappointed to receive only a 97% on his test, even though it's only a preparatory test for his midterm exam.
- Bad Date: Mutsunokami and Yamanbagiri's date in part six. Everything is fine until Chougi turns up in a sasanqua bush behind them; this ruins the date for Yamanbagiri.
- Bearer of Bad News: Nikkari is this to nearly all of the rest of the cast.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Yamatonokami, demonstrated as early as part one.
- Big Brother Instinct: Horikawa, to the point where he's willing to put a rootkit into a peer's computer because he's afraid said peer will hurt Yamanbagiri with newfound information.
- Big Eater: Yamatonokami.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: The crack interview in chapter 36 involves multiple mentions of "the readers," and all three of the characters being interviewed address the reader at least once.
- Camp Gay: Kashuu, who has a collection of jewelry, is majoring in fashion design, pays a lot of attention to his looks, and wears nail polish and high heels. Oh, and happens to have strong romantic feelings for Yamatonokami. Downplayed, however, because of his interest in kendo and kenjutsu.
- Cast Full of Gay: Lampshaded by Mutsunokami at the first meeting. This does not end well.
- Cast Full of Pretty Boys: As inherited from its parent work.
- The Chessmaster: Nikkari. He's responsible for the letters, the meetings, and every other planning detail going into dealing with whatever's under the city of Shusei.
- Dead Person Conversation: Every time Yuriko turns up.
- Door Stopper: As of this writing it comes in at a cool 171,503 words, not counting the side story.
- Drowning My Sorrows: In part one it's mentioned that Kashuu is drinking a lot. It turns out he was just having a hard time hiding his crush on Yamatonokami.
- Everyone Meets Everyone: In part three, at the first meeting. Arguably applies to the second as well, as even more people show up to that meeting.
- First-World Problems: Just about everything Hachisuka complains about: getting soup spilled on him, having an adopted brother, someone stealing his tea... Never mind the fact that he has an actual problem that he was literally born to fix.
- Flower Motifs: Red roses for Kashuu and blue morning glories for Yamatonokami.
- Forced Out of the Closet: Mutsunokami demonstrating his gaydar to everyone else at the first meeting. As mentioned above, this does not end well.
- Four-Temperament Ensemble: Yamatonokami (sanguine), Kashuu (melancholic), Horikawa (phlegmatic), and Izuminokami (choleric).
- Good Is Not Nice: Chougi may mean well but he's a real jerk. Not that he doesn't have good reasons.
- Groin Attack: Izuminokami to Mutsunokami after the first meeting.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Horikawa's attempts to keep Mutsunokami from learning the Kunihiro family secret not only fail, but get him into trouble. Downplayed, as Mutsunokami is too nice to get Horikawa into too much trouble.
- Hyperlink Story: Starts off with five characters' arcs. Then the meeting in part three happens, bringing them all together. Their arcs are still relatively separate though.
- The "I Love You" Stigma: Kashuu has such a hard time confessing his feelings to Yamatonokami that he resorts to a story about flowers.
- Imaginary Love Triangle: Ishikirimaru with Nikkari and Kikkou in part three, despite Nikkari's special attention to him and Tsurumaru's reassurance. Kikkou clarifies matters later in the day.
- Interclass Friendship: Souza's friendship with Kasen.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Chougi. He's a jerk to almost everyone in sight, but he seems to have a soft spot for Mikaze.
- Lower-Class Lout: Invoked but ultimately subverted by Kashuu: although his family is poor he's fashionable and hardworking. Arguably subverted by the Kiyomitsu family as a whole, as they operate a successful business despite living in the poorest area of the city.
- Manipulative Bastard: Lampshaded by Chougi against Kiri. He's not entirely wrong, but it's justified by Kiri's intent.
- Not a Date: Souza and Hasebe at the teahouse in part two.
- Obfuscating Insanity: Kiri, at least in his interactions with most of the touken danshi. When talking with Nikkari, Chougi, and Nankaitarou he seems saner.
- Our Ghosts Are Different: Yuriko. She was killed as part of a battle to protect history... or so she says. When not out in the open she shares a body with Nikkari.
- Parental Abandonment: It's never explained what happened to the Samonji brothers' parents.
- Plotline Crossover: Horikawa and Mutsunokami in parts two and three, and all thanks to Yamanbagiri.
- Promotion to Parent: Kousetsu to his younger brothers.
- Running Gag: Yamatonokami's appetite. This takes a darker turn in part six, however: when he goes home to help his mother take care of his dying father, he starts stress vomiting; the food he buys when he gets back to Shusei is meant to make up for an entire weekend without eating.
- Secret Identity: Chougi, his roommate, and the teenager his roommate mentors all go by false names when doing anything related to the bigger plot: Yuki, Kiri, and Mikaze, respectively. Chougi's identity has to stay a secret because he was replaced by the character everyone knows as Yamanbagiri Kunihiro and wasn't supposed to turn up again and Mikaze is a high school student who doesn't want to reveal his identity. Kiri, however, doesn't seem to have any reason to have a secret identity except for the fun of it.
- Sheltered Aristocrat: Hachisuka is out of his social depth, both in college and at the meetings with the other touken danshi. He ranges from being awkward to being outright nasty.
- The Tease: Nikkari, to almost everyone. However, he pays special attention to Ishikirimaru.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Souza with fire, to the point that he loses his job in the university dining hall because of it.
