Kyon: Big Damn Hero



""Count the tropes! Save, collect, trade for swell prizes!""

Kyon: Big Damn Hero is the result of creating a crossover between Haruhi Suzumiya and TV Tropes. It starts with an In Medias Res prologue and moving swiftly on to an Anachronic Arc before finally settling into as chronological an order as possible when a Stable Time Loop shows up every few chapters.

First featured on the Haruhi fanfic recommendations page.

As for the plot, it started with Haruhi being told about her powers in order to save Nagato. Then came time travel, breaking up crime rings, a harem plot, Higurashi characters and a subplot involving a Slider and the Sky Canopy Dominion.

Is it worth mentioning that the series also frequently mentions much of the cast being fans of the Trope-tan anime?

The story consists of 63 chapters in 12 arcs:
 * Obligatory Anachronic Order Explanation (2 Chapters)
 * Straightforward Flashback and Exposition (3 Chapters)
 * Heroic Antics Begin (5 chapters)
 * Filler (4 chapters)
 * Fanservice (4 Chapters)
 * Gearing Up (5 Chapters)
 * Initial Conflict (5 Chapters)
 * Thwarted Lull (5 Chapters)
 * Calm Before The Storm (5 Chapters)
 * Storm Begins (5 Chapters)
 * Open Battle (7 Chapters)
 * Laying Low (6 Chapters)
 * Resolution (6 Chapters)
 * Alliances and Enemies (1 Chapter)

Sadly, author Brian Randall took his own life on January 17, 2014; this and other works by him will remain incomplete.

However, in Spring 2014, friend and fellow fan author Halbarad revealed that he had an almost complete chapter 64, lacking only a title, an epigraph, and a final edit pass. A Google Docs copy of the chapter can be found here; Halbarad appears to be intending to pick up the fic and continue it, apparently using information he received from Randall.

Due to negative reception on Fanfiction.net (for his opinions, not his works) the author's website will be the only source for new chapters. Chapters up to number 44 (Open Battle Arc, Chapter 1) can be found on Fanfiction.net.

Thanks to hardworking forum goers, there is now a Kinetic Novel adaption! Volume 1 has been released, covering everything up to the first half of chapter 5; it can be found here.

A fan-made timeline can be found here.

There is a character sheet for more details (under construction). Please add character-specific tropes there, unless they apply to several characters or can fit in the main article fine.

'''When adding tropes, be sure they aren't used just like in the very Troperiffic source material. Those go there.'''

Remember to add future examples on the pages being linked to.

#-C
""Oh, my," Mikuru said, frowning as she glanced around. "Um ... should I call Kyon-kun about it?"
 * Acceptable Breaks From Reality: Subverted. Kyon raised his PDA to take a picture of some police officers while invisible in Calm Before The Storm Chapter 1. To his surprise, it made an audible click, because all cellphones and cameras are required to make a sound in Japan, ostensibly to make things harder for voyeurs. It nearly blew his cover.
 * Played straight with the NPA, who act more like the United States FBI than the real NPA because it makes a better story.
 * Action Prologue: The prologue.
 * Actor Allusion: When discussing Lucky Star Taniguchi mentions that Konata's voice creeps him out for some reason--most likely because it's so similar to Haruhi's.
 * Similarly, in "Epileptic Plot Tree", Haruhi bites the head off a chocolate cornet (whichever end that might be).
 * Adaptation Decay: In-universe example. A Broken Base of Trope-tan formed due to the second season of the anime adaptation because it diverged from the manga a lot, according to Haruhi in Thwarted Lull Chapter 4.
 * Adults Are Useless: Kyon's parents.
 * Affectionate Gesture to the Head: Kyon tousles his little sister's hair pretty much whenever he sees her.
 * After-School Cleaning Duty
 * AI Is a Crapshoot: Kyon fears that his new PDA could become Skynet after Yuki said that it was capable of learning and that it was formed from remnants of . However, this doesn't stop him from naming the device exactly that.
 * Amusing Injuries: Among other things,  has been drowned (by Yuki) and hit across the room (by Yuki) within two chapters. She is nothing more than data, so it's somewhat justified.
 * Alien Invasion: In 's backstory, it's the reason she started sliding through universes.
 * All Girls Want Bad Boys:  and several other nameless girls at the school while   happens to be in 'delinquent mode'.
 * Mikuru, on the other hand, prefers 'domestic mode'.
 * All Part of the Show: See Bavarian Fire Drill below.
 * All Just a Dream: Inverted in Thwarted Lull arc 2 with Kanae, who doesn't realize she was awake until.
 * Anachronic Order: The Anachronic Order Explanation arc.
 * Ancestral Weapon: The hilt of Kyon's Laser Blade was used by one of his ancestors ( to be precise).
 * Answer Cut: The In Medias Res Prologue includes, among other things, Kyon being attacked by Asakura Ryouko, having possession of a lot of supernatural tools his canon counterpart doesn't have and Haruhi not batting much of an eye to Kyon's admission Asakura is an humanoid interface like Yuki. At some point after that Kyon asks himself "It started off such a nice day, too. How had it come to this, anyway...?". Cue scene change to the first non-prologue scene. The storyline after this point then continues... 40+ chapters later.
 * Arranged Marriage: in Initial Conflict Chapter 5. The marriage part of the trope is justified by the parents as beneficial because both families used to be extremely powerful a millennium ago. Disregarding that, also because both of them like the effect and skills the other parents' child has.
 * Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: Kyon mentions casually to Sasaki that he has to meet several past instances of people, fight 12 thugs at once, arrange to deliver an alien artifact and study for a math test. It scares the crap out of adult Mikuru, but Sasaki doesn't take it seriously.
 * Augmented Reality: It's how the SOS Brigade can perceive and interact with.
 * As part of her preparations, Mikuru was given an Augmented Reality system. It doesn't seem to interact very well when watching some movies.
 * Back-to-Back Badasses: Kyon and Yuki in The Open Battles Chapter 1.
 * Balanced Harem:
 * Batman Gambit: Kyon asks Koizumi to mail Haruhi when they are going to meet the Student Council President, so he may have just enough time . Works better than expected.
 * Bavarian Fire Drill: After, Haruhi simply acts as she were the Director of a movie to invoke All Part of the Show. Bystanders start applauding.
 * Beach Episode: It starts in the second chapter of the Thwarted Lull arc, and ends in the next chapter.
 * Beam Spam: Gungnir can fire lasers at up to 65,535 targets at once.
 * Bedmate Reveal: Happens to Kyon when he wakes up one day just to find Kanae sleeping at his side.
 * Happens to Kyon again in Storm Begins 2.
 * Happens once again in Open Battle 4,
 * Berserk Button:
 * Do not
 * In a similar vein, do not
 * Better Than a Bare Bulb: Given the ridiculous number of Lampshades hung over the course of every chapter, it's safe to say this is in effect.
 * Bifurcated Weapon: Altair + Vega + Beam Saber = Gungnir.
 * Big Brother Instinct:
 * Threaten Kanae like Ryuguu did, and Kyon will come after you with a vengeance. In fact, he'd fix up most problems in the Brigade, mostly with force because of circumstances.
 * Don't even insinuate that you will harm any of his friends in front of Kyon. He will practically teleport in front of you.
 * Big Damn Heroes: In the prologue. Also happened at some other point, we finally get to see over twenty chapters after we first learned about it.
 * Big No/Little No: Both played for laughs when Mikuru wants to meet Kyon (who was busy ) because he could help Koizumi with some "esper business", as he put it. As both Yuki and Koizumi are connected to Haruhi and feel her emotional state, both voice their negative accordingly:

"No!" Koizumi barked, almost shouting

At the same time Yuki raised her gaze from her book and said, much more calmly, "No.""

"Haruhi: Blah blah blah, Skip the speeches - if I don't know the complete back story, it's all meaningless to me."
 * Blah Blah Blah: In Anachronic Order Explanation Chapter 1.

"Haruhi: What else did you learn? Back to the beginning... I know you mentioned that you had some martial arts training, too?
 * Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick: After Tsuruya comments to Haruhi that she learned calligraphy because it's an important thing to know in the business:

Tsuruya: All proper things! Tea ceremony, calligraphy, social behaviors, ninkyo dantai formality, martial arts, interrogations ... that kinds of stuff."

"Kyon: Haruhi? Was that you?
 * Brick Joke: Kyon's analogy in the prologue for being hit by Ryoko is about being hit by a speeding minivan. Guess what happened in the Initial Conflict arc.
 * Also used in conjunction with the Stealth Pun in Heroic Antics Begin Arc, Chapter 4, which is titled: Chapter Eleven: Yes, It Goes There / Yeah, It Went There (depending on whether you're looking at the Table of Contents or the chapter itself). If you recall, the title for Straightforward Flashback and Exposition Arc, Chapter 1 is called: Chapter Three: It Goes To Eleven.
 * Broken Masquerade: Kyon pulls this on Haruhi so she can save Yuki. Also, that chapter's Fictional Document refers to how to prepare for this trope as well.
 * Buffy-Speak: To avoid mentioning exactly what it was that he and Yuki swiped from Yamane Jun's room, Kyon stops himself halfway through the word and calls it "the corrupted data thingy."
 * Calling Your Attacks: Master Spa~ark!
 * Campbell Country: Hinamizawa.
 * Captivity Harmonica: One of the inmates has one when Kyon visits Masao in jail. They use it to drown out their conversation in case of eavesdroppers.
 * Cassandra Truth: Kyon's sister frequently has tried to tell her parents and friends that her brother is a hero but nobody believes her. In part this is also because Kyon tells her enough to know but not enough for her to be believed if she tells someone else.
 * Sasaki doesn't believe in aliens, time travelers, espers, or sliders and recently convinced herself that they're code words used by Yakuza.
 * Casual Danger Dialog: Kyon, as a Deadpan Snarker, is prone to type 4. Of course, since he often already knows the outcome of the fight, he might not need to be worried.
 * Celebrity Paradox: In addition to this wiki apparently existing in the fic's universe, Taniguchi mentions Lucky Star in Thwarted Lull Arc V.
 * Chained Heat:.
 * Chekhov's Gun:
 * Yuki checks out Kyon's wristwatch. A few chapters later,
 * During Haruhi's second time in Closed Space with Kyon, she made several unmentioned changes to reality, including a limit to her powers. A notable one showing up later is.
 * What about Chekhov's Coat?
 * Chekhov's Gunman:, seriously. To be precise, helped  out of a difficult situation in Open Battle, Chapter 4.
 * Chunky Salsa Rule: The enemy slider from Thwarted Lull, Chapter 2 may not understand fighting very well, but he knows that threatening to reduce Kyon into a chunky salsa is the same as a death threat.
 * Cliff Hanger: Frequently; Chapters 47, 53, 54
 * Close-Call Haircut: Immediately after protests having to return Kyon's gear to him, citing that she's "not afraid of anything anymore", a flechette nearly beheads her, only taking a few strands of hair instead.
 * Combat by Champion: Defied after the battle against the 24 Yakuza. Fujiya Masao, their boss who proposed himself as his own champion was convinced he doesn't have to keep fighting (and losing); instead, he only had to promise never work again with pictures of changing high school female students.
 * Comically Missing the Point: In Gearing Up arc chapter 5 when returning from training Kyon was received with a pillow thrown to his face, making him fall. This conversation followed:

Haruhi: Wah! Seriously? You can tell it's me because of how the pillow hit you?

Kyon: I can tell it's you because you hit me with a pillow at all."

":"
 * Continuity Cameo: It seems that made a brief but intriguing appearance in the chapter 7 of Later, another one of Durandall's fanfics, in front of, who reacts in a savvy and very sensible way.


 * Continuity Nod:
 * In the 3rd chapter of Gearing Up arc, Haruhi congratulates Mikuru on being the first to accomplish her Tanabata wishes.
 * Also, Koizumi explains his Esper powers over a cup of coffee with, just like how he explained it to Kyon.
 * At Tsuruya's house in Calm Before the Storm Chapter 3, Koizumi reminded Kyon of the events of the Drama CD, where Haruhi wrote a literal Ear Worm and Hare Hare Yukai. Then they perform Hare Hare Yukai for everybody.
 * The Drama CD is also the source of
 * In the Heroes Gone Fishing scene in Fanservice Arc Chapter 4, Keiichi warned Kyon to not go near a abandoned quarry. That's a reference to "Nekogoroshi-hen" (Cat Killing Chapter), a single episode scenario of the anime based on the homonymous Light Novel.
 * It has been mentioned a few times that Kyon resembles his grandfather a lot, which could be a small nod to "Mystérique Sign Returns". This manga-only chapter features a case similar to the Cave Cricket incident, but in this case the data entity took the form of a man dressed in an Imperial Japanese Army uniform with a katana, who Kyon first mistook for an older version of himself. Later he discovered that the apparition was in fact based on her grandfather in his younger days.
 * Most times Kyon has to time travel he notes how he is getting more used to it.
 * In Open Battle Arc, Chapter 7, Koizumi reveals that the fake version of Kyon who visited his room in Snow Mountain Syndrome was behaving aggressively in 'that way'.
 * In Laying Low Arc, Chapter 1, Haruhi gives Kanae a smiley-face hairpin, which is the same Hair Decoration as that worn by Yasumi, the Canon character Kanae was based upon.
 * Contrived Coincidence: The IDSE created tools for theoretical interactions with Alternate Universes, with a dimensional anchor being among those items. The last one created dates from millions of years. The item found in Tsuruya's backyard during the seventh book? Guess what it is.
 * Conversational Troping: In Kyon and Sasaki's backstory it was the usual topic of conversation: Kyon presented a trope and Sasaki deconstructed it.
 * Cooldown Hug: This trope is used fairly often, like when Haruhi hugs Tsuruya when she blames herself for, Yuki receiving one from Kyon when she is scared after being too close to a black hole, or Kyon being hugged after being dangerously close to killing, or when he visibly stressed from the fight against the Combine at Kitago.
 * Cool Sword: Kyon's Laser Blade, whose hilt was used by one of his ancestors and blade was made of the remains of a robot from another world.
 * Covert Pervert:  They spent their time in Hinamizawa together "enjoying the view" of Kyon in bath.
 * Cower Power: After Haruhi's reaction to Tsuruya's report on what she and Kyon did to disband a illegal photographic ring (which included sleeping and bathing together -- It Makes Sense in Context), Mikuru automatically hides behind Tsuruya. Kanae, noting that Tsuruya isn't the safest cover in this circumstance, decides not to follow this trope and only hide behind the table.
 * Crack Fic: It crosses over with tropes. It should also be noted that nobody knows how to cross a story with a concept.
 * Creator Cameo: In Open Battle Arc, Chapter 7, during the conversation where Haruhi and Kyon discussed how to name his Laser Blade, she suggested the name of the "weapon from the battle of Troy, and featured in the 'Song Of Roland'". Kyon rejected it because "somehow, that particular name felt overused".

"Mikuru: Eh? Suzumiya-san? Are you alright? You look dazed!
 * Curb Stomp Battle:
 * Once more in the Initial Conflict arc.
 * Curse Cut Short:
 * Kyon's first meeting with Ryuguu in Heroic Antics Begin, Chapter 1. Kyon smashed his nose against the equipment shed, making him curse. Before Ryuguu could finish the curse, Kyon smashed his nose in again.
 * On second thoughts, search for any mention of "fu-". That's a Curse Cut Short. For example, Heroic Antics Begin, Chapter 2, when Kyon's sternly chastising Watanabe.
 * Cuteness Overload: Mikuru when Kyon first calls her by her first name.
 * Also happens to Haruhi when Kanae
 * Also happens to Haruhi when Kanae

Haruhi (in a faint voice): S...something amazing happened."


 * And to Yuki, of all people, when.

D-F
"Kyon: So if I tell you, that means you can't go. Understand?
 * Dead Fic
 * Dead-Man Switch: Sasaki invokes this trope in Calm Before The Storm Chapter 4. It goes like this: if she doesn't send two text messages at certain times of the day, the intended recipient will know that something bad happened to her.
 * Denied Lunch As Punishment: to Kyon when he's grounded.
 * Denying the Antecedent: Kyon's sister resorted to this to get herself invited to the beach trip in Thwarted Lull Chapter 1. Kyon immediately noticed it, but it turns out that she goes anyway.

Kyon's sister: Okay! So, don't tell me! That means I can go!

Kyon: That's not what--"

""Um ... I'm sorry about this...." [Kyon] paused, considering, then winced and asked, "Did it ... hurt?"
 * Destination Defenestration: Yamane does this to Tsuruya when he's cornered by her, Kyon, Yuki and Yanagimoto in the photography club room. Kyon managed to pick her hand before falling though, and between him and Yuki they picked up Tsuruya back in the clubroom.
 * Did Not Do the Research: Lampshaded when the writer realized that Sasaki was the character's last name, rather than first name. Apparently, this is important enough that a chapter has to be rewritten.
 * However, Durandall has been very good at keeping the story close to canon and he did the research every other time.
 * Technically Doubly Subverted. To clarify: the research was done, it was just the wiki where the research was executed was incorrect.
 * Ironically, the eleventh novel (which is not canon for this fic, but still) reveals that Sasaki is not the character's original name.
 * Discussed Trope:
 * Kyon once discussed Those Two Guys with (surprise!) Taniguchi and Kunikida after school. To wit: each of them claims that he's the real main character and that the other two are Those Two Guys.
 * Mikuru, Koizumi and Haruhi discuss Oblivious to Love in front of Kyon. He doesn't get the hint.
 * Distracted by the Sexy: Nagato and Hanyuu stopped fighting because Kyon got out of the bath.
 * Does Not Know His Own Strength: In Calm Before The Storm Chapter 2's Fictional Document, it warns you to be careful of one's new powers.
 * Does This Remind You of Anything?:
 * This excerpt from Laying Low Arc Chapter 4:

"Not as much as the first time," [Haruhi] groaned, lowering her hands before blinking and suddenly looking to one side. "Um-- It's fine, really....""

"Tsuruya:
 * Doorstopper: As of Laying Low Arc Chapter 4, the story is approximately 540,000 words long. As a reference, the English translation of Les Misérables is around ten thousand words shorter.
 * Dramatic Irony: Used for comedy with the "very special hell" Running Gag..
 * Dropping the Bombshell: Haruhi and Tsuruya are chatting about in the presence of Yuki, who was silently reading:

Haruhi: I already did, so I'd be a hypocrite if I said no.

Tsuruya: So he practiced with you! That's why he was so good .... Er.... Um....Um, I have a picture of me in a junihitoe on that SD card!

Haruhi: You and him!? Er.... I mean.... Yeah, he's really really good, isn't he?

Tsuruya: I thinks so.

Yuki: I also think so."

"Yuuto: There's no way you could come home from school one day and announce that you had, say, rescued an heiress from rampant hoodlums and secured a position at her father's company."
 * Why it's an example? Because it made Haruhi and Tsuruya realize that.
 * drops a bombshell so huge by revealing Kyon's relationship with his organization and the deeds Kyon has done for it that Kyon's mother faints from the shock.
 * Dynamic Entry: One of the fictional documents advise this. In addition,
 * Electric Slide: When Kyon wanted to get from his school to the meeting point with Future!Mikuru in Storm Begins Chapter 4, he performed this trope. found it interesting but quite inferior compared to teleportation.
 * Elegant Gothic Lolita:
 * One of Tsuruya's costumes. Though admittedly, her cheerful demeanor doesn't complement it well.
 * In Thwarted Lull Chapter 5, Yuki gets her costume, and she pulls it off quite well.
 * Empathic Weapon: When Kyon genetically imprints, he feels a highly disconcerting awareness of the weapon.
 * Establishing Character Moment: Kyon's sister gets hers in Filler Arc 3 when Kyon tells her about his heroic antics. It really shows how much she cares for her brother and is afraid of losing him, as it's the first time the story is told from her perspective.
 * Exactly What It Says on the Tin:
 * Guess what the In Medias Res prologue was named?
 * Most arc names are like this too (Heroic Antics Begin includes the first time Kyon is shown being "hero", in Gearing Up there's new equipment and so on) with the exception of, ironically, the Filler and Fan Service arcs.
 * Excalibur in the Rust: Kyon's Ancestral Weapon. Subverted in that it actually is in a state of disrepair and data manipulation is needed to make it a functional weapon. Of course, it probably wasn't a Laser Blade in its original incarnation...
 * Face Palm: Haruhi when she realized Kyon will get in trouble with the Student Council again
 * Fainting: reaction upon learning that
 * Fan Service: Constantly played straight, and subverted in the actual 'fanservice arc'.
 * More like constantly invoked. With fanservice played straight, there's often no particular in-story reason why it's there, and the characters themselves aren't aware of it. Here, the fact that there will be fanservice is so well established that nobody even questions it anymore; the remaining issue is who gets to do it.
 * Fan Service Pack: Haruhi wishes for one in chapter three of the Anachronic Exposition Arc.
 * Fascinating Eyebrow: Part of Kyon's answer to Fujiwara's declaration of not giving up the slider's weapon to him. The other part was Kyon showing Fujiwara the very same weapon, meaning it's a predetermined event Kyon will receive it.
 * Fictional Document: The beginning of every chapter. Mostly Encyclopedia Exposita-like self-help books on being a hero, with the occasional poetry thrown in, and implied to be from future documents/books. Until the author states outright who wrote what, it will remain an extremely popular topic in the WMG.
 * Filler: Subverted in the so-called Filler Arc.
 * First Episode Spoiler: The IDSE scheduling Yuki's deletion, forcing Kyon to use his Trust Password on Haruhi thus making her be aware of her powers.
 * First Girl Wins: Haruhi calls it a cliché, since she believes that one can always fix the situation, as in.
 * First-Name Basis: At the same time that the SOS Brigade strengthens their Nakama relationship, characters start addressing others differently:
 * Kyon refers to Tsuruya by Tsuruya-san the first time she sees him fight (as he does in Canon), then Tsuruya-sempai after that fight when he volunteered himself to help her, and a few days later (from her perspective) Tsuruya-kun, regarding themselves as equals. Later on, in Open Battle Arc, Chapter 2, he switches to Tsuruya-hime in order to better distinguish between her and Tsuruya-sama while around the Tsuruya-tachi.
 * Mikuru starts calling Nagato Yuki-chan after
 * Tsuruya had called both Haruhi and Mikuru that they both should drop the formalities (Tsuruya-san) when talking to her. Haruhi has been calling her Tsu-chan since then, and Mikuru(big) calls her the same way.
 * Kyon finally called Mikuru Mikuru-chan after watching a movie together and being asked again.
 * Tsuruya started calling Yuki Yuki-chan in Thwarted Lull Chapter 3.
 * In Calm Before the Storm Chapter 2, Kyon first calls Yuki Yuki when Haruhi asks her to make the club's filing cabinet secure. When visiting her later in the day, he calls her Yuki-rin, before finally settling on Yuki-chan.
 * Kanae starts calling Mikuru Mikuru-onee in Calm Before the Storm Chapter 5.
 * Mikuru calls Haruhi Haruhi-chan in Storm Begins Chapter 3 after Haruhi tells her to stop calling her Suzumiya-san.
 * Yuki calls Mikuru Mikuru-chan in Open Battle Chapter 7.
 * Five Rounds Rapid: Subverted after Sumiyoshi-rengo member Taiso signals to the other Yakuza members to pull out their guns when Koizumi uses his esper power to destroy Taiso's gun just as Taiso tries to fire it. Played straight when fellow Sumiyoshi-rengo, Senzo, fires five shots at Koizumi in his red energy form. Of course, this fails to work.
 * Flashmob: In Laying Low Arc Chapter 3, the entire SOS Brigade plus Sasaki, Kyouko and Nonoko staged Hare Hare Yukai in a train station dressed as Touhou characters to the surprise and delight of many passers-by.
 * Flechette Storm: Used twice by Asakura in Obligatory Anachronic Order Explanation Chapter 1.
 * Flight:
 * Forced to Watch:
 * Foreshadowing: Kyon mentions that his uncle is called Keichii in one chapter. It later turns out that's the same one in Higurashi.
 * Also this, from Filler Arc, Chapter 2:

"Kanae: You got to take a bath with Sempai! I'm jealous! Er, I mean, that is... (claps hands over her mouth)"
 * And then, in Filler Arc, Chapter 3, after the photography ring is shut down, Tsuruya's father visits Kyon's family and tells them that Kyon has secured a position at his company, due to Kyon rescuing his daughter from rampant hoodlums.
 * Fountain of Youth: After each training session Yuki restores the trainees' age, otherwise they'd age a year each night.
 * Four Is Death: Defied. In Laying Low Arc, Chapter 4, Koizumi is added to the group of people assigned to face the Combine (Kyon, Yuki, Kuyou, and Ryouko) the next time they appear "mostly to make the number involved slightly luckier."
 * Framing the Guilty Party: is arrested for kidnapping of a minor at the beginning of Open Battle Chapter 6. While wrongly accused in this particular case,  did try to kidnap  with the help of  just the day before in-story.
 * Freudian Slip:
 * Mostly from Kanae, followed by her blushing.

"Tsuruya: Understood! Next time I want to take a bath with Kyon, I'll invite you over to join us!
 * Though Haruhi usually catches herself before letting something slip, she got one for the same scene as above, after prompting from Tsuruya.

Haruhi: You'd better! ... (realizing) I mean, don't think like that!"

"Tsuruya: So, how was your date~?
 * Mikuru has her own share when asked about the movie she went to watch with Kyon and Yuki.

Mikuru: W...wonderful. Ah! It, I mean, we had fun, er, the three of us! It wasn't a date, Tsuruya!"


 * Furo Scene:
 * A few times, first with.
 * Then there's another in the Thwarted Lull arc.
 * Futureshadowing: Mori didn't go to the first meeting Kyon had with Organization members because she was intimidated by something Kyon did a few days before. In Initial Conflict Arc 3 Kyon is shown

G-I
"Mion: My head's killing me. Kei-chan, Rika-chan... if I don't make it... I'm leaving the household to Makoto-chan.
 * Genius Loci:
 * Genre Savvy: Many characters already are in the source material, but Haruhi turns this Up to Eleven:
 * Even Kyon's sister is starting to become this, though in her case it borders on Wrong Genre Savvy: she was able to deduce that Kyon was visiting an enemy to draw him to their side, but at the same time she ardently believes that she will become a Magical Girl on her next field trip.
 * Girl-On-Girl Is Hot: Kyon once had a dream of present!Mikuru and future!Mikuru which he started reminiscing about. He cuts himself off before he digs himself deeper.
 * Glomp:
 * Haruhi and Tsuruya to the already hugging Mikuru and Yuki
 * Kyon is in the receiving end of one from his sister as a greeting in Calm Before The Storm Chapter 2.
 * Good Angel, Bad Angel:.
 * Good Cop, Bad Cop: In the Heroic Antics Begin arc.
 * Goofy Print Underwear: Kimidori Emiri wears Trope-tan character print panties.
 * Go to Your Room: Kyon's mother to her son in Filler Chapter 3.
 * Gratuitous Japanese: Aside from using Japanese honorifics, the author uses a lot of Japanese words, especially with regards to the Yakuza.
 * Grievous Harm with a Body: Kyon and Yuki use this trope a lot in both of their fights with the Yakuza.
 * Growling Gut: Kyon in Open Battle arc 2, after Mikuru asks him if he's hungry.
 * Half Truth: Kyon tells a Yakuza that his PDA is custom, and says that he got Akasaka's picture because if you do it right, people just look right through you.
 * Hangover Sensitivity: Happens to almost all the members of the "after-school club" in Fanservice Arc, Chapter 3. Mion seems to have it the worst, judging from her reaction to her sister's intentionally-too-loud greeting:

Shion: (yelling and banging the frying pan of eggs on the table) Good morning, nee-chan! How are you doing today?

Mion: (whimpering and clutching her head) Please, where are my henchmen when I need them?"

"Haruhi: *chuckling* Damn, I just realized, I'm stuck with Kyon's paperwork again!"
 * Head Pet: Deadpan Snarker Kyon + Team Pet = Inevitability.
 * As of Open Battle Arc, Chapter 5, also takes a turn riding on Kyon's head.
 * Heroes Gone Fishing: Kyon goes fishing with his uncle Keiichi when he goes to visit for golden week.
 * The entire Fanservice Arc counts as this.
 * Heroic BSOD:
 * Subverted, as the pressure of knowing the implications of her own power almost provokes one on Haruhi.
 * Kyon suffers this on his backstory without realising it: after Sasaki constant deconstructionism, culminating with the Deconstruction of The Power of Love, Kyon's sister notes her brother lost his smile, only to be regained after Kyon met Haruhi.
 * Hero Secret Service: The SOS Brigade, including the Organization and  for Kyon, for mostly non-action roles. Haruhi'd like to be in the action though.

"Kyon: Well, I have to head back in anyway, since ... I forgot my shoes. Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow, alright, Tsuruya-sempai?"
 * Hesitation Equals Dishonesty: Kyon does this in Heroic Antics Begin chapter 1 when Tsuruya asked why he had to return to the clubroom despite him telling her earlier that he was dismissed for the day. It turns out he had to find Mikuru to Time Travel.

"Tsuruya: That's precious! I'll make sure one of those pictures of you that's being taken down there now is right next to the article about this that'll be in the paper!"
 * Holy Backlight: Kyon is seen that way by Kanae in after fighting a giant robot at the beach.
 * How Much Did You Hear?: In Fanservice Arc, Chapter 4, Kyon discovers his sister eavesdropping Haruhi when . While Tsuruya wonders what she overheard, Haruhi doesn't really care about how much exactly she knows: she just cares that she doesn't tell anybody else.
 * Humiliation Conga:  After him being caught off-guard by Tsuruya in the idol research club room   Kyon held him by an ankle, his body dangling outside a third floor window, making people who was passing by take photos with their phones. Then he just had to wet himself.

"Haruhi: "If I had a paper crane for all of the things that Kyon's done for me, I'd have a wish by now!""
 * Hyperspace Arsenal: Somehow, Kyon tucked his slider weapon into his shirt from Haruhi's point of view.
 * Hypocritical Humor: Haruhi's rant in Initial Conflict Chapter 4 about long and/or ongoing series. She's especially unhappy that Negima is that long, but the part that sticks out most is that she doesn't like light novels that go on for more than 10 novels. The source material is releasing its 10th novel, and it's only the start of the Brigade's second year.
 * In addition, this fanfic is 495,985 words long (using a wordcount from MS word) as of Laying Low Arc: Chapter I (Chapter 51), and was the longest Haruhi fanfic on fanfiction.net before the author removed it and reposted it . The shortest novel the Other Wiki lists on its longest novels page is about 510,000 words long, for reference.
 * I Call It Vera: Kyon's Morph Weapons, Altair and Vega, and his Beam Saber, Hakurouken.
 * I Cannot Self-Terminate: says this word-for-word in Open Battle Chapter 5. She's horribly upset at two things: her actions directly lead to Kyon's sister being in severe danger, and she's, and hates it. In order to let herself stop feeling that way, she gives Kyon
 * If I Had a Nickel:

"He stared a minute longer, imagining her in her apartment, kneeling by the phone, her cheeks pink-tinged as she daydreamed about him... But he dismissed that thought. This was Yuki, after all. As much as he might wish that..."
 * I Kiss Your Hand: In Thwarted Lull arc 5, Kyon, wearing a Victorian-style suit, plays along with Yuki's, wearing an Elegant Gothic Lolita outfit, offer of tea making this gesture (It Makes Sense in Context). While he makes the gesture his lips don't actually touch Yuki's hand.
 * Imagine Spot:
 * In Filler Arc, Chapter 3, after Kyon phoned Yuki.

""God, she's cute like that, though," Haruhi exclaimed, grabbing Kanae away from her sempai suddenly. Kanae allowed another squeak of alarm to escape as the older girl held her tightly and twirled around. "I want to take her home!""
 * Kanae dreamed of kissing a shirtless Kyon in a shadowy wooded glade surrounded by bunnies and flowers, not
 * I'm Taking Her Home with Me: Performed by the Trope Namer, Ryuguu Rena, on a cosplaying Yuki in Storm Begins Chapter 4. Kyon barely held her back from glomping Yuki, but she swept her up anyway the moment Kyon let go.
 * Haruhi does this to Kanae in Thwarted Lull Chapter 3, although not quite as extreme.

"Kanae: We have to take care of that ... thing in the kitchen, right Asahina-san?"
 * Inconvenient Summons: Yuki teleported Mikuru two nights in a row to her apartment just after Mikuru took a bath, still wearing her Modesty Towel. After complaining about being teleported while bathing the next teleport was while she was eating.
 * Indirect Kiss: Kyon and Yuki. Kyon's aunt observes no real hesitation on his part when he has to share a teacup with Yuki.
 * I Need to Go Iron My Dog: In Thwarted Lull Arc, Chapter 3,.


 * In Medias Res: The prologue.
 * We finally reached the events it covers after 41 intervening chapters.
 * Innocent Fanservice Girl:
 * Tsuruya happily undresses in front of Kyon, after they slept together (No, not that way). She also bathes with him, and almost gives him a nosebleed the first time.
 * Yuki offers to teach Haruhi how to kiss better. Haruhi's mind goes into overdrive.
 * If Mikuru's thoughts are to be trusted, Tsuruya never bothers with a Modesty Towel. Ever.
 * Innocent Innuendo:
 * Crops up on occasion. First between, then later with.
 * In the prologue, Haruhi asks Kyon eagerly to "see it", asking in the process "Doesn't that get hot?" with a wide smile.

"Haruhi: Tsu-chan, did you just break Suou-san?
 * Insistent Terminology: Yakuza members tend to refer to their own organization as "ninkyo dantai" ("chivalrous organization") and enemy organizations as "boryokudan" ("violence group"). The police also tend to use "boryokudan".
 * Instant Armor: Yuki adds this function to Kyon's watch, which saves his life.
 * Instant Cosplay Surprise: Haruhi modified/learnt that Skynet, Kyon's PDA and controller of the stealth function on Kyon's greatcoat, can scan pictures from the Internet. The first thing she does is make Kyon wear a Victorian suit, followed by various outfits from the same era.
 * Internal Reveal: In Fanservice Arc, Chapter 2, Rika Fuurude tells Kyon about the events of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, hoping he'll reveal his story after that. Understanding that she'll believe him and will keep his secret, Kyon tells Rika afterwards about the SOS Brigade and the supernatural events he had lived through.
 * Invisibility Cloak:  provides him with one of these at will. Well, so long as he's not too cold.
 * It Got Worse: Inverted.  Turns out Chekhov's Gun just came into play.
 * I Think You Broke Her: After, Haruhi and Tsuruya start to ask Kuyou some questions. When Tsuruya asks her , she considers the question... and freezes, causing Haruhi to wonder if Tsuruya broke her.


 * I don't get it! It's like she suddenly got overwhelmed as soon as she tried to access a memory!"

"Haruhi: What happened?
 * It's a Long Story: In Straightforward Flashback arc 2, after Kyon returns to the clubroom with a little cut in the head, a faint line of blood trickling down one cheek:

Tsuruya: You're still bleeding? But I put a bandage on that for you yesterday!

Kyon: Long story."


 * It Was A Dark And Stormy Morning: Averted, though Kyon really wants that when he wonders whether Haruhi will end the world after the previous night's incident in Initial Conflict Chapter 5.
 * It Was a Gift: When Kyon goes with Yuki to buy a phone to her in the fourth chapter of the Initial Conflict arc Yuki acknowledges that, even if she could emulate the functions of a phone without effort, she would treasure it as a gift from him.
 * Also, Mikuru's mail and photo to Kyon in Fanservice Arc Chapter 1. Kyon finally admits to Mikuru keeping her photos without her consent and deletes them in front of her, thinking he's being hypocrite after breaking the illegal photo ring. After a really uncomfortable day for both of them, Kyon receives a mail from Mikuru with a photo of herself with a very shy look and skimpy clothing, implying she forgives him. In a later chapter Kyon comments adult!Mikuru that photo is meaningful to him.
 * It Will Never Catch On: Haruhi thinks Kyon's nickname for his beam saber in its tool mode will never catch on. He calls it his sonic screwdriver.
 * I Was Just Joking: In Kyon and Haruhi's first meeting with, Kyon jokingly suggests that she's a slider who knows them from a Alternate Universes after she ran away from them. Haruhi starts chasing her before he could say the line. He was right.

J-L

 * Jaw Drop:
 * This is the reaction of Kyon's father on how Tsuruya's father countered his negative to change jobs due to loyalty to his company (so Kyon's father could work under Tsuruya's father): buying the company where Kyon's father works.
 * Koizumi in Thwarted Lull Arc chapter 1 when he's told.
 * Jump Physics:
 * Yuki jumps from the ground floor, hops off the wall several times, and hangs on the roof one-handed before she slides window open. Kyon looks at that and decides that his chance of mimicking her is nonexistent.
 * Later, Kyon invokes this trope via gravity manipulation and his training.
 * Just in Time: In Open Battle Chapter 1, Kyon and Yuki are forced to fight over thirty Sumiyoshi-rengo while most of Kyon's equipment is disabled and Yuki is Brought Down to Normal. The second katana Kyon took from his assailants eventually shatters, which is when the Yakuza decide to stop holding back and draw their guns. It is at this moment that Koizumi bursts through the ceiling while destroying the ceiling cameras that were set up to allow a Power Nullifier to be in effect.
 * Kill Sat: Gungnir isn't quite orbital, but the effect is the same.
 * Lampshade Hanging: If every time something was lampshaded was listed, we'd probably make the page four times longer.
 * Laser Blade: Kyon wields one in the prologue and finally gets it in Thwarted Lull Chapter 3.
 * Laser-Guided Amnesia: After each session of training, Yuki clears out "all non-necessary mental data to prevent unintentional corruption or trauma" from the trainees.
 * Leave the Two Lovebirds Alone: Yuki in Thwarted Lull Chapter 1, when she left alone by the entrance of Tsuruya's house.
 * Literal Minded: Kyon's PDA. In Thwarted Lull Arc 1, when Kyon starts chatting with Sasaki she brings up that most of his events were most probably organized by someone else. His PDA, being able to learn and adapt, brings up his event planner immediately. He then tries to avoid meetings with her with lame excuses that Skynet (his PDA) obligingly fills his schedule with as it doesn't understand Kyon is lying.
 * An alternate interpretation is that Skynet knew Kyon was lying, but was helping him out anyway - as Kyon never makes any mentions of Skynet reminding him of any of his false excuses. Either he deleted them later or Skynet did it for him.
 * Locked Out of the Fight: While the whole SOS Brigade was in class when the enemy slider attacked Kitago the battle was inside Kuyou's shadow song. Koizumi can't enter those spaces by himself.
 * Locked Out of the Loop: The males in the SOS Brigade don't know that
 * As of Storm Begins Arc, Chapter 2, Kyon has been brought into the loop. Koizumi still doesn't know, though.
 * And as of Laying Low Arc, Chapter 2, Koizumi has figured it out.
 * Lolicon: Kyon isn't pleased to note that Taniguchi thinks Kanae's cute, in a lolicon sort of way.
 * And a running gag has Kyon denying that he feels this way for younger girls like Miyoko and his cousin.
 * Loophole Abuse: In The Open Battles Arc, Chapter 4, the only way could circumvent "good-child mode" and alert the brigade of a slider attack was get  to speak to her first and convince her to activate Kyon's tools and deliver them to him.
 * Love Dodecahedron: Kyon-centered. Putting aside the already established (semi-)Canon pairings of Haruhi, Mikuru and Yuki, Ascended Extras Miyoko ("Miyokichi" in source materials) and Kanae have crushes on him, Haruka eventually admits to harboring similar romantic feelings to him, and  Gosh, this is a worthy rival to School Rumble.
 * Luminescent Blush:
 * Kanae. Almost always when the situation involves Kyon.
 * Also Mikuru in the picture she sent to Kyon in Fanservice arc 1.
 * And Haruhi, after kissing Kyon in Thwarted Lull Chapter 1. Also Koizumi because he's linked to Haruhi.

M-O
" : I might have died happy."
 * Magic Skirt: Averted by Kuyou in Calm Before The Storm Part 4 during a Dynamic Entry. Both the trope and the aversion are surprisingly underplayed, all considered.
 * Manly Tears: Kyon, after
 * Marry Them All:
 * This is actually deconstructed and then reconstructed in the same chapter.  Even then, it's not an easy relationship to have; it only works because the whole group was an iron-clad Nakama before they were a harem, and each of the girls has enough self-esteem and love for their partners to not worry about him ever abandoning them.
 * Marshmallow Hell:
 * while wrestling for control of a letter in his jacket. The result is this trope.

"Yuki: It becomes difficult to breathe. Is this ... appropriate?"
 * Also, Mikuru pulls one on Yuki, leading to a rather deadpan comment from Yuki. It Makes Sense in Context.

"Kyon: Y...Yuki! Kanae-chan! Come on! H...help me- Waaah! Help me out!
 * Mathematician's Answer:
 * Yuki and Kanae use this trope while at Tsuruya's house in Calm Before the Storm Chapter 3, when Yuki and Haruhi are forcibly undressing Kyon, while Kanae is getting out the various layers of his kimono out of a bundle.

Yuki: I am helping.

Kanae: I'm trying!"

"Kyon: Um...Good morning?
 * Yuki gets another, amazingly cute one in Storm Begins Chapter 2.

Yuki: Yes."

"(In a reunion with the Student council)
 * Meaningful Echo: In Heroic Antic Begins arc 1.

Kyon: I don't really believe that last part, but it's nice of you to say. I just want to point out, though, that a challenge against any one of us is a challenge against all of us(...).

(Immediately after Kyon stops talking Haruhi barges in the room)

Haruhi: Trying to pick us apart by calling out my underlings when I'm not around, eh? Well, you've got a lot to learn! A challenge against one of us is a challenge against all of us!"

"Rika smirked, helping Shion with the kitchen chores until the coffee machine chirped. Keiichi and Satoshi stumbled into the room as if summoned by the chime, both wearing robes and with roughly identically bedraggled hair in their respective shades. "Coffee," they moaned in synch, zombie-like."
 * Also, Mikuru's response to Kyon getting a minor injury with "Kyon, don't die!" Then, after, Mikuru responds with the same line, just before fainting.
 * Meaningful Name: In the fifth chapter of the Initial Conflict arc
 * Mega Neko:
 * Mission Control: Haruhi and Tsuruya for Kyon when he and Sasaki go to meet the Anti-SOS Brigade.
 * Moment Killer: The enemy slider in Thwarted Lull arc 2..
 * Morph Weapon: One of the slider's enemies has one.  Also, in Thwarted Lull Chapter 2, one of the enemy sliders attack, only for Fujiwara and Kuyou to perform a Villainous Rescue.
 * Mundane Utility:
 * Yuki used data manipulation to slow relative time around a kettle to preserve tea and prevent it to cool down in Thwarted Lull arc 4.
 * Haruhi often makes random items such as knives, forks, and pencils move on their own simply because she doesn't feel like cooking/writing physically.
 * Kyon turned one of his slider guns into a cosplay prop in Storm Begins Chapter 4.
 * Must Have Caffeine: Coffee seems to be Keiichi's remedy of choice whenever he drinks too much. Satoshi, on the other hand, seems to need his morning fix, as well, even without drinking.

"Tsuruya: Is that the end of the world in your pockets, or are you just happy to see us?"
 * My Own Grampa: Kyon hopes that this isn't the case, after realizing that he time travels a lot, and that he wouldn't have to go back in time and ...
 * Mythology Gag:
 * Also, the later chapters reference information that was given in the later books such as Itsuki supposedly being the leader of the Organization and Sakaki and Haruhi having gone to elementary school together.
 * Neighbourhood Friendly Gangsters: The Yakuza, especially since their current oyabun and his Yakuza Princess daughter take the "Neighbourhood Friendly" part literally.
 * The Yamaguchi-gumi (the  Yakuza is a branch of it) were responsible for most of the relief and aid efforts after the Kobe earthquake, as Kyon commented in Filler arc 1.
 * Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Subverted. Kyon initially thinks this is the case after accidentally informing Fujiwara that the latter cannot die until after traveling back to the previous Saturday, however
 * What ultimately makes Tachibana decide for was Mori's implicit threat to her grandfather.
 * "No. Just... No" Reaction: Kyon does not want to think about the idea of being his shipped with Koizumi. Kanae does. Repeatedly. It all comes to a head when the contents of her notebook are revealed, where even Koizumi can't resist joining in the teasing.
 * Noodle Incident:
 * Kyon travelled back in time to defeat 12 Yakuza single-handedly, complete with Badass Longcoat, and on the same trip did something that was said to have intimidated Mori severely. Later on, readers discover that Mori is extremely intimidating already, as seen in the Psychotic Smirk entry.
 * Subverted even later in Initial Conflict Chapter 3 where the events are described in detail.
 * In-universe, lampshaded example: In Open Battle Chapter 2, Kuyou eats a plate of noodles far too fast, and winds up choking. When Kyon gives her the Heimlich, she almost hits Achakura with a noodle. In the next chapter, Kyon turns it into a literal example of this by not "going over the noodle incident."
 * Not a Date: In Thwarted Lull Arc 2, Mikuru tried to deny to Haruhi that her going to see a movie with Kyon and Yuki was a date, despite the fact that she asked Haruhi for permission about this appointment as a date. Implicitly subverted, as.
 * Not So Different: Kyon invokes this trope by name to Wataru, as they both want to protect their own sisters.
 * Not So Stoic: In Thwarted Lull Arc 2, Kuyou wants to help Kyon, and he sees the satisfaction in her eyes when he takes the weapon. She also wishes him good luck.
 * Yuki after the events of Storm Begins arc 1. It's the first time that she's visibly scared, trembling and asking Kyon to hold her.
 * Not What It Looks Like: Kyon's reaction after being photographed with Kanae sleeping against him and his arm around her (an absent movement, he does the same to his sister). Actually a subversion since who took the photo is just teasing him.
 * Oh Crap! There Are Doujin of Us...: The rest of the Brigade discover that some of Kanae's sketchbooks contain hentai doujin of them, such as Kyon x Koizumi, Haruhi x Kyon x Kanae, etc.
 * Oh, No, Not Again: Sasaki's response to.
 * Older Than They Look:
 * Zigagged with. All participants of Yuki's training session have trained for about a year at least each night for weeks. However, Yuki deleted all their irrelevant memories except hers and reverted their aging process. So they don't remember anything except the results of training, even if they have lived all these years.
 * Kyon time-travels so much, even he isn't sure how old he'd be at the end of everything.
 * As a consequence of, Haruhi believes she is quite a bit older than she thinks she is.
 * Kanae in general; her given age is sixteen, but she looks about the same as twelve year old Miyoko.
 * One Degree of Separation: Let's see:
 * It's all but stated that Miyoko's older cousin that she had a crush on ran off with Kyon's older cousin that he had a crush on.
 * Haruhi's father is Kyon's father's direct superior.
 * Tsuruya's bodyguard is
 * Itsuki turns out to be a huge fan of.
 * Ryuugu Ryo, the boy that Kyon fights, turns out to be
 * Miyuki, the head of the investigation surrounding Kyon,
 * Haruhi and Sasaki went to the same Elementary School, although they never talked to each other.
 * One Dialogue, Two Conversations:
 * In Gearing Up chapter 4, Kyon and his father have a chat. Kyon thinks his father found out about his . His father is actually talking about the both families have planned.
 * Also, in Heroic Antics Begin, chapter 4, Kyon mentions that he went to Nagato's place to . Mori thinks they had sex. When Kyon mentions that he also slept in the same room as Tsuruya, Mori thinks that, they too, had sex. Kyon thus thinks that Mori is getting him armor because she starts moaning about it when he mentions he's going to meet with . Mori instead gets him other forms of protection. Individually packaged, foil-wrapped 'protection'.
 * One-Liner:
 * Kyon in Filler Arc 3: "Anyway, you were reminding me that I don't have a future?"
 * Koizumi in Initial Conflict arc 3: "I believe my point has been significantly punctuated."
 * One Steve Limit: Averted due to the crossover. There are two characters named Keiichi: Kyon's uncle, and one of the Tamaru brothers.
 * While Tsuruya is given a first name in this story, she's still nearly always referred to as "Tsuruya" by her friends, and her father is introduced in this story and also referred to by his last name, despite his first name being given. This leads to two characters both referred to as "Tsuruya," and if this story didn't use Japanese Honorifics any scene involving both of them at once would be extremely confusing.
 * Opera Gloves: Yuki's new costume has elbow-high gloves that act as an arm-version of Zettai Ryouiki.
 * Or Are You Just Happy to See Me?: Parodied. After Kyon received his new PDA and deadpanned about it being like Skynet, while the phone is still on his hand:


 * Our Hero Is Dead: The first chapter of the Gearing Up arc ends with.
 * Our Lawyers Advised This Trope: The author helpfully mentions in Thwarted Lull Chapter 3 that his Laser Blade is legally distinct from a lightsaber.
 * Outside Ride: Kyon hopped to the top of car while stealthed in Open Battle Chapter 2, keeping himself in place thanks to his gravity manipulators.

P-R
"Kyon: Um ... what ... do you get out of this, exactly? I know to us, we each go ... somewhere else to practice. What about you?
 * Paper-Thin Disguise: Kyon calls Tsuruya and claims he's his uncle Kintaro. Justified because he was asleep with her at the moment, though she remarks they have the same voice.
 * Perception Filter: Yuki learns how to generate an "occlusion field" from her observations of Kuyou's powers. She uses it in Laying Low Chapter 1 to make Kyon and herself "difficult to focus on or remember to most bystanders". If Kuyou boosts her efforts, this cousin of the "S.E.P. field" is powerful enough for her to  in the middle of the street with no one but them (and potentially other Interfaces) noticing a thing.
 * : Initially resisted due to risk of apocalypse, but all involved parties come around to the idea quite quickly.
 * Phlebotinum Analogy: explains that having a costume that protects you and operates on principles most people won't understand, and wielding equipment that few on Earth have ever seen, let alone held is, in fact, much like turning into a Magical Girl.
 * Pimped-Out Dress: After Haruhi declares they can take turns at mascot duty, Tsuruya ends up wearing one of these, as does Yuki.
 * Tsuruya also has a collection of formal kimonos with elaborate designs and enough layers and accessories to require at least one other person's help to put them on.
 * Pinky Swear: Kyon's sister promises her brother not to tell Haruhi . While Kyon's sister didn't tell Haruhi, she acknowledged it's her fault Haruhi learned that because she slipped when talking with a cousin.
 * The Plan: Kyon suspects Ryoko had one, after he finds out that Yamane was being controlled by Ryoko via her . Yuki thinks that Yamane was just stupid enough to accidentally corrupt the data inside, accidentally letting Ryoko control him.
 * Pocket Dimension: The daily training sessions take place in one.
 * Polyamory:  They even have the schedule in the closet..
 * Porn Stash: Kyon deleted the one on the SOS Brigade computer. He now has a small one in his phone, courtesy of Mikuru and Tsuruya.
 * Post-Kiss Catatonia:
 * The one who provoked the Forceful Kiss example above took a few moments to recover from it.
 * also pulls this off on.
 * In Initial Conflict Chapter 5, pulls this on, with the latter also "suffering" Foot Popping.
 * Power Incontinence: In order to keep Haruhi's power from affecting the world randomly, Yuki has to work full-time as control mechanism for them; however, closed space still occurs and Yuki has to clear junk data periodically.
 * Power of Friendship: A recurrent element through the story, especially after Kyon is shot.
 * Power of Trust:
 * This is what moved Haruhi into taking a third option, preventing her Heroic BSOD.
 * The older Mikuru's World of Cardboard Speech is based on this.
 * Power Perversion Potential: A very mild example: It's been pretty much confirmed in story that during Yuki's training sessions, she used some of that time to.


 * Yuki says nothing and blushes*

Kyon: *realization hits* A...actually, forget about that for now."

"Haruhi: *pointing to Yuki* Kyon got so good because of you!
 * In Initial Conflict Arc, Chapter 5, with over a month of training sessions:

Yuki: That is probable. However, I have no comparable metric for comparison. But I do find the sensation ... very enjoyable."

"Haruhi: Can I go (time travelling) with you?
 * Pre-Ass-Kicking One-Liner: Subverted in Calm Before The Storm chapter 5. Just after Kyon delivers the line to three yakuza, he gets teleported out of there.
 * Psychic Block Defense: Haruhi, Yuki, Mikuru and blocks their mind from Koizumi.
 * Haruhi's block feels like a strong wind that prevents him from approaching.
 * Yuki's block feels like a wall, though he still can detect her presence.
 * Mikuru's block is more solid, and haphazard than Yuki's and more than enough.
 * 's block prevents Koizumi from even detecting his presence.
 * Psychotic Smirk: All the Yakuza can do it, mainly because it implies that they can give you hell. Mori's smirk, on the other hand, can cause fear-induced paralysis, as seen in Gearing Up Arc, Cchapter 4, and she isn't even a Yakuza.
 * Quizzical Tilt:
 * Tsuruya when Kyon received a greatcoat as a gift from Mikuru, and realized it's the same coat she saw him wearing some weeks ago.
 * Mikuru in Thwarted Lull arc 2's Furo Scene when.
 * Ragnarok Proofing: The dimensional anchor worked perfectly fine in spite of being millions of years old.
 * Rank Inflation: Tsuruya gave an S rank to Kyon's speech when she asked him if she should learn about the supernatural in the SOS Brigade.
 * Red Pill, Blue Pill: Kyon gives Tsuruya the option to either learn the truth behind the SOS brigade and the supernatural, or remain 'just a side character.'
 * Reference Overdosed: Mainly to trope names.
 * An avid Higurashi no Naku Koro ni fan would also catch the multiple subtle references to Higurashi, even in chapters that have nothing to do with Hinamizawa.
 * Refuge in Audacity: And its buddy, Rule of Cool, are the two primary forces responsible for keeping Kyon from becoming a Marty Stu.
 * Retcon: There have been a few, mostly involving the author changing the names of certain characters. The original first name he gave Tsuruya was Kaede, but changed it to Haruka because he liked its meaning better. He was also originally mistaken about the name of Akasaka's daughter, and fixed the mistake (Momoko to Miyuki) once he was informed. Also, back when he thought that "Sasaki" was the character's given name, the surname he chose for her was Matsumoto. He changed that to a Repetitive Name in order to Take a Third Option.
 * Ret-Gone: Narrowly avoided for.
 * Retroactive Preparation: Kyon uses and abuses this trope.
 * Need a dimensional anchor quickly and you just realized your friend who doesn't know of the supernatural may have it? Go to a day before and ask her to deliver it a few seconds after you realize that.
 * He also time travels several days back to prepare countermeasures when.
 * Romantic Two-Girl Friendship:, or so they want everyone in Kitago to think.
 * Roof Hopping: In the third chapter of the Initial Conflict arc, started jumping from roof to roof for the fun of it, discovering in the process that it was a fast, inconspicuous and energy-efficient way of movement.
 * Running Gag:
 * "I am keeping this picture."
 * Also the content from the letters from the future.

Kyon: (reading his first letter) "No, she can't.""

"Kyon: Don't get the wrong idea. I like girls just fine. That is not the problem."
 * Also Kyon's dual habits of saying his future self is annoying and then mocking his past self's incompetence, in addition to saying 'hi' to himself.
 * Kyon thinks that he has a very special hell waiting just for him.
 * Every time an adult has an important conversation with Kyon, he initially thinks they're accusing him of being a Lolicon.
 * As a slight variation on the gag, Kyon's uncle asked about his relationship with his female friends in one such conversation, and Kyon interpreted it as asking if he was gay.


 * Kyon keeps telling himself that Shinobu, the Tsuruya family maid, is a ninja.

S-U
"Trope-tan: Chekhov ... BEEEEEEAM!"
 * Said Bookism: The characters allow and offer a whole lot more than they say.
 * Sarashi: Mentioned by name as part of Sasaki's cosplay during the Flashmob.
 * Sarcastic Confession:
 * At the end of Filler Arc, Chapter 2,  When his mother asks if he's through being a delinquent (which wasn't his fault in the first place), he answers that he's moved on to joining the Yakuza. His mother doesn't believe him. Obviously.
 * Also, Kyon mentions casually to Sasaki that he has to meet several past instances of people, fight 12 thugs at once, arrange to deliver an alien artifact and study for a math test. It scares the crap out of adult Mikuru, but Sasaki doesn't take it seriously.
 * Inverted in Thwarted Lull Chapter 2, Sasaki tells Haruhi about the Anti-SOS Brigade's identities. Sasaki thinks that they're delusional or pulling her leg, but Haruhi is now aware of enemy espers, time travelers, and aliens, since immediately after hearing this she wants to speak with Koizumi.
 * Scenery Censor: During 's first Furo Scene in, notes that  and 's linked hands (long story, It Makes Sense in Context) would prevent anyone standing at the doorway from seeing 's "most interesting areas".
 * School Uniforms Are the New Black:
 * Kyon keeps falling into this and just when it looked like he'd got something to replace his uniform, he ended up wearing the uniform as well as his default.
 * Nagato seems to have gotten out of this. Well, if she wears any of the clothes she and Mikuru bought.
 * The Scottish Trope: In Open Battle Chapter 1, during the POV of one of the Sumiyoshi-rengo, at one point he refers to Kyon as 'the boy who he absolutely had not heard the name of.' This was immediately after Yuki said something that 'not a single man would acknowledge what they had heard.'
 * The Scream/Screaming At Squick: Haruhi when Tsuruya shows her the pictures of her investigation. Later Yanagimoto Ai when she's shown the same pictures.
 * Screw Yourself: Implied that Kyon dreamt of a situation involving Mikuru and this trope. He cuts himself off though...
 * Secret Keeper:
 * after she gets to know about Kyon and time travelling.
 * And before that
 * Kyon's sister is aiming to gain enough trust from her brother to become one.
 * In Laying Low arc, Chapter 1, aren't convinced that  are really in a Romantic Two-Girl Friendship and try to get  to explain what's really going on.
 * Security Cling:  specifically tries to invoke this trope by.
 * Sempai-Kohai: Kyon and Kanae.
 * Shipper on Deck: Most of the girls in the Big Damn Harem ship each other with Kyon, but Haruhi makes a conscious effort to do this.
 * Ship Sinking: Subverted in Storm Begins Arc 1. Yuki comments "It is not ... mutual" when Kyon stayed to comfort her (Yuki had to save Kyon from something that makes her afraid). After Kyon's answer - he believed she was talking about their relationship and even had to give himself a Better as Friends inner monologue - Yuki explains that what she really wanted to say is that her own actions aren't on par of what she expected Kyon to do.
 * Ship Tease: Kyon is teased with most single female characters. Especially Kanae, who has dated Kyon before in an Alternate Universe.
 * Shout-Out: There's a ton. So many so that we've set up a page for them.
 * Show Within a Show: There is a Trope-tan anime and movie.

"Kyon: Part of me wants to say that your reaction to this is incredibly unreasonable. Rather, only you would look at something so incredibly unreasonable, and choose to be so reasonable about it.
 * Also "Brave Detective Sasha" novel series, written by Rena.
 * Shutting Up Now:
 * In Calm Before the Storm Chapter 3, after Kyon notes Haruhi's too calm reaction to her learning Kanae involuntarily teleported herself to Kyon's bed during the night.

Haruhi: (gives a pointed look to the other person in the conversation) I'm the only one who's reasonable? What about your fiancée?

Kyon: I am going to forgo speaking privileges for the rest of the day."

""Yeah, but I can't let Tani-baka know about this -- ever," Yanagimoto said, shaking her head. "The second he heard about it, his head would explode!" She blinked, thinking about what she just said as her face reddened. "And I'm going to shut up now," she muttered, reaching for her slightly melted sundae."
 * In Laying Low, chapter 1, after Yanagimoto utters an oddly worded sentence.

""I'm putting that off for now," he said with another shrug. "I need to keep a time loop open to occupy the IDSE anyway.""
 * "Silly Me" Gesture:
 * Tsuruya in Filler arc 4 when she had to explain about "kinship rituals" to Haruhi.
 * Adult!Mikuru in Initial Conflict arc 1 when she told Kyon she lost certain photo of hers.
 * Slow Path: Kyon is sent about half a day back in time so he could help Tsuruya (and then staying at her house) while being grounded without trouble. Future Kyon had to stay the night at home.
 * Small Blackout: To Hinamizawa. Apparently happens a lot.
 * Sound Effect Bleep: In the form of a car horn when Fujiwara calls Tachibana a bitch.
 * Square-Cube Law: The robot Kyon fought violates that law with its spindly legs.
 * Squick: In-universe example: this is Kyon's reaction to Yuki taking the remnants of Ryoko's data for future use.
 * Stable Time Loop: There's one every few chapters.
 * Also, due to the nature of time loops and causality, Kyon knows the only thing preventing the IDSE from getting revenge on him for making Yuki disconnect is the fact that he's involved in several loops, and killing him might cause tons of trouble to time.

": And it's going to turn me into a magical girl?
 * Stealth Pun: Chapter Eleven's name is Yeah, It Went There, as it's saying this chapter will get.
 * Sunnydale Syndrome: Sasaki does this to herself in chapter 37, trying to make sense of what Kyon did and said while rescuing her from Kuyou's organization troops.  She ends up deciding that "time traveler" is actually a codeword for "organized criminal", among other things.
 * Super Window Jump:  in the Initial Conflict arc
 * Sure, Let's Go with That: When Kyon accidentally leaves his coat and equipment behind in his sister's room, tries to get  to bring it to him as expediently as possible. During the course of  explanation, she resorts to this trope to avoid wasting time with additional explanations.


 * For values of 'turning you into a magical girl' equal to 'you having a costume that protects you and operates on principles most people won't understand, and wielding equipment that few on Earth have ever seen, let alone held,' yes, this will turn you into a magical girl!"

"Kanae: I didn't mean to fall into Sempai's bed! We weren't sleeping together on purpose - it was an accident!"
 * Suspiciously Specific Denial:
 * She had no ulterior motive to keep an eye on him, or admire his surprisingly toned physique as he patiently watched over one of his younger cousins. She was just ensuring he was okay, unhurt after the mysterious events, and that was the only reason she was staring at him so closely!
 * Kanae swore that her sliding into Kyon's bed and sleeping with him was a complete accident. Haruhi lampshades her constant Innocent Innuendo around Kyon.

""Mmm, Sempai," Kanae murmured in her sleep with a quiet giggle."
 * Sweat Drop: Mikuru after telling Haruhi about when Kyon accompanied her buying cloth and a sewing machine.
 * Switching POV: Changes in character focus are signaled by a break.
 * Take a Third Option:
 * Haruhi can't unbottle her feelings about the consequences of her powers because it will cause even more strain to others, and she can't ignore it either because she cares about the SOS Brigade. In order to prevent an Heroic BSOD she
 * Word of God said that the story follows a Higurashi plot called "Mitsuhoshi-hen", which literally translates as "third-way chapter," in reference to the fact that the version of Higurashi considered "canon" for this story, rather than following one of the two "official" endings, is a combination of Matsuribayashi-hen and various elements from the other Higurashi arcs.
 * Talking in Your Sleep: In the first Chapter of the Straightforward Flashback Arc, Yuki teleports Kanae, Mikuru and Kyon into her home. Kanae was asleep throughout the teleportation and starts talking in her sleep.
 * Talking in Your Sleep: In the first Chapter of the Straightforward Flashback Arc, Yuki teleports Kanae, Mikuru and Kyon into her home. Kanae was asleep throughout the teleportation and starts talking in her sleep.

"Tsuruya: Now, Kyon-kun, can you get on your knees?
 * Tempting Fate:
 * Sure, Kyon, name the piece of sophisticated technology capable of self-advancement and  Skynet. What could possibly go wrong?
 * In the beginning of Thwarted Lull Chapter 3, Koizumi muses that he is the most normal among the extended SOS Brigade. He soon realizes he can use his powers outside closed space.
 * That Came Out Wrong: When Tsuruya and Kyon are disguising themselves as students of another school:

Kyon: *shrugs* Somehow, I really expected to hear that from Haruhi, first.


 * beat*

Tsuruya: *chuckles* I have to do your hair."

"Haruhi: Can I go [back in time] with you?
 * The All Solving Hammer: Tsuruya Kenshiro's approach to...pretty much any problem, really, is "buy the institution involved".
 * The Thing That Goes Doink: There's one at the restaurant where Tsuruya and her father invite Kyon's family for a formal dinner in Initial Conflict Chapter 5.
 * The Trope Without a Title: Haruhi's favorite website is never mentioned by name. However, as it's mentioned it's a wiki, it inspired the Trope-tan anime, and has an entry for Head Pet, the name of this website isn't exactly a mystery for the reader.
 * The Reveal: Kuyou explaining how Sasaki's powers are expressed, that being.
 * The Tape Knew You Would Say That: Future Kyon likes to do this with his instructions to Past Kyon, probably since it helps avoid spoilers.

Kyon (reading note): "No, she can't.""

"Kyon: Taniguchi's a living perv-wiki. He's rated all the girls on a grading scale and only learns the names of those who get an 'A' or better.
 * They Fight Crime: She's a wealthy heiress. He's a role model for a so-called goddess.
 * A Threesome Is Hot/One True Threesome: One of Kanae's hentai doujinshi features herself, Haruhi, and Kyon.
 * Throwing Down the Gauntlet: Wataru gives one to Kyon by causing what seemed like a small earthquake and shouting "Kyon! Face me!" that probably everyone in Kitago could hear.
 * Time Bomb: The IDSE gives Yuki advance warning of her impending deletion in Chapter 1, and she periodically gives countdown times in the conversation with the Brigade.
 * Tired of Running: One Fictional Document refers to what to do in this case.
 * Too Dumb to Live: Haruhi thinks that of Taniguchi. He doesn't realize that using his scale in front of Haruhi to rate Kanae an A- would arouse her curiosity. And that Kyon would most probably explain it cynically. And that Haruhi might be offended to find out Taniguchi's view of girls.

Haruhi: [turning to Taniguchi] Oh? I wonder what I ranked on that scale. Too bad you didn't even make fifteen minutes on mine."

"Kyon: (yawning) This again?"
 * Too Much Information: By Kyon's request, Koizumi explained that he gained his ESP powers when both Haruhi and him were undergoing puberty. At the beginning, he found it extremely difficult separating their feelings at first, which led to highly awkward situations. Kyon realizes his mistake and declares that he never wants to clarify that.
 * Tricked-Out Time: Since Fujiwara declares that he is effectively immortal until he travels back in time to the beach in Calm Before The Storm, Mikuru thus wonders whether she could alter time by changing events as predetermination is set by observations and records.
 * Trigger Phrase: Kyon is given one if he needs to revert the Memory Gambit.
 * Troperiffic: Need it be repeated what it has crossed over with?
 * True Companions: Of course the SOS Brigade are these. Everybody, including Tsuruya and Kanae was relieved when Kyon woke up from his . Kyon even points this out.
 * Trust Password: The story starts by Kyon using his Trust Password so Haruhi can believe him and help Yuki.
 * Tropes Will Ruin Your Life:
 * Kyon's optimism and interest in the supernatural was destroyed by Sasaki's incessant deconstructionism; likewise, Sasaki's automatic Deconstruction of the Power of Love appears to have been what ruined her relationship (and chances of romance with) Kyon.
 * It also occasionally causes Haruhi difficulty when it comes to explaining things.
 * thinks it might eventually become sentient. She doesn't expect it to be very sympathetic to her, but until then, she finds it helpful for understanding human culture.
 * Unbroken Vigil: After Kyon, Haruhi, Yuki, Mikuru and Tsuruya stayed the night in the hospital keeping him company, even if Yuki had already healed him. As a bonus, both Haruhi and Yuki sleep in the bed with him.
 * Undead Tax Exemption: The slider always had a complete identity in every world she visited, including school records, friends and family. Later it's deconstructed when it's revealed that . She doesn't realize it.
 * Unrequited Love Switcheroo: It's revealed Kyon had a crush on Sasaki in their backstory (not that any of them realized that at the time). Now Sasaki has realized her own crush on Kyon (he has already gotten over his), who is set to be wed to Tsuruya.
 * Unstoppable Rage:
 * Unusually Uninteresting Sight: Kyon's response to


 * Unwanted Harem: Deconstructed and reconstructed

V-X
"Kyon: I won't be able to get much use out of this until next winter, but I know once I do, I will greatly appreciate this! Asahina-san, I don't know what I've done to deserve such a fine present, but I am very grateful.
 * Verbal Backspace: After Kyon receives a greatcoat as gift from Mikuru in Gearing Up Chapter 3:

Tsuruya: I've seen that coats before. You had it on when you beat up those Sumiyoshi-rengo fellows who hurt Kasai!

Koizumi: Y...yes. I've seen that once before, as well, that day you left even Mori-san impressed.

Kyon: Or, you know, maybe even sooner than that."

": Synchronize with that! Activating 'chibi mode'!"
 * Verbal Tic: In addition to Tsuruya, from the source material, her father also has it. Both of them lose it when they are stressed though.
 * Verb This:

"Kyon: I assume that the Organization is reasonably aware of what we're doing?
 * Villainous Rescue: Fujiwara and Kuyou
 * "V" Sign: Haruhi and Sakanaka to each other in Heroic Antics Begin I after Kyon and Haruhi return from a Student Council session.
 * We Have Forgotten the Phlebotinum: In Open Battle Arc, Chapter 4, after, Kyon was so distracted taking care of his sick sister that he left his coat behind in her room, along with pretty much everything else in it.
 * We Have to Get the Bullet Out: Played straight when Kyon is shot despite his going to a hospital where they could be expected to know better.
 * Welcome to My World: On the third chapter of the Heroic Antics Begin arc:

Koizumi: I haven't a clue! I suppose you can fill me in on the way? I feel a bit clueless about this right now...

Kyon: Welcome to my world."

"Yakuza Mook: You've bought yourself ten seconds, and a one-way ticket to a world of hurt, kid. Who the hell do you think you are?
 * Wham Chapter: Gearing Up Arc I.
 * Wham! Line:
 * "But then, by that logic, if I had subordinates, they could help, too?"
 * "Not half as monstrous as that thing you're trying to kiss."
 * What Did I Do Last Night?: Mion in Fanservice Arc, Chapter 3. Rena's blush at that statement indicates that she remembers, and the others' reactions indicate that they know what happened, anyway.
 * What the Hell, Hero?: Kyon thinks this as he was climbing across the peaked roof of a two-story house in the dead of night with Yuki. It Makes Sense in Context.
 * What Measure Is a Mook?: Averted with Kyon on Heroic Antics Begin Chapter 4, when he was worried about how bad he had harmed the Mooks he just fought.
 * What Would X Do?: To force Nonoko to go home, Kyon asked her, "What would a defender of justice do?". It actually worked as she had to be sure her friend get home safely.
 * Who Are You?: Right after Kyon arrives to rescue Tsuruya and her bodyguard from a dozen Yakuza:

Kyon: Today, I'm a defender of justice, and that girl's guardian. Cliche though it may sound ... from this point on if you want to get to her, or him, you go through me."

"Mikuru(big): So ... in a roundabout way, you and I, together, even though I still stumble a little bit, are forging towards a brighter future. One that isn't predetermined to you, that doesn't damage the future I come from. If you understand what I said earlier ... you have the power to change me. Not my past self, so directly ... but your influence ends up helping me become the person I am. I could tell you everything; try to make it predetermined... I could say things were better or worse then they truly will be, and try to trick you into changing things for me. Once, I did - sort of - tell you about the goals of the people I work for. Instead, though, this time I'll do what Yuki-chan did. I'll tell you nothing, even if you would believe me. But I'm not trying to keep you in the dark because I want to manipulate you ... I'm telling you as little as possible because I believe in you. I have absolute confidence that if I don't limit you, you will achieve something wonderful. And maybe, just in small, selfish bits ... I might lead you towards something that I think we both would like..."
 * World of Cardboard Speech: In the second chapter of the Initial Conflict arc:

Y-Z
"Kyon: Lost your excuse to sneak out and grab a smoke without mom noticing?
 * Yakuza:
 * Year Inside, Hour Outside: Part of Yuki's training sessions., thus also invoking Took a Level In Badass at the same time.
 * Years Too Early: In Straightforward Flashback Chapter 2, after Kyon's sister awakens her brother by trying to tickle him, he says her she's a hundred years too young to try that on him.
 * You Are Better Than You Think You Are: When Haruhi learns about her powers, she also learns the world is in constant threat of destruction because of closed space and how hard times has Kyon lived because of her. All of this makes her worry if she's forcing Kyon against her will if not outright breaking him, bordering a Heroic BSOD in Straightforward Flashback Arc I. Kyon counters by mentioning her own growth and whatever trouble she's causing, it isn't intentional on her part.
 * You Are Not Alone:  concludes that staying in this world will put the SOS Brigade in risk. The rest of the brigade tell her that she can trust them with her troubles, the same way she has helped them before.
 * You Can Say That Again: In Initial Conflict Chapter 4.

Kyon's father: What she doesn't know won't hurt her.

Kyon: You can say that again."

"Mook: You don't know who you're messing with."
 * You Can See Me?: are able to see and touch each other. The surprise is for the former.
 * Kyon to Haruhi when he saves her from being run over by a minivan.
 * You Did Everything You Could: Yuki blames herself for not foreseeing events that could injure Kyon. He reminds her that she trained him, gave him most of his weapons, and that he's still alive.
 * You Have No Idea Who You're Dealing With: Said to Kyon in Initial Conflict arc Chapter 3 the first time (chronologically speaking) he fights Yakuza.

"Kyon: (through Manly Tears) I...it's... It's nothing nearly that bad. I wouldn't... You may still think I'm crazy, and... Well, parts of this are secrets I don't really tell anyone else, but..."
 * Of course, since he is time travelling, Kyon already knows.
 * You Just Told Me: Used by Haruhi against Kyon in the Calm Before the Storm Arc, Chapter 5.
 * And then Haruhi falls into one in the Open Battle Arc, Chapter 7, even though she wasn't even the one being asked. Sure, Kunikida already knew, but nobody else in the room did.
 * You Wouldn't Believe Me If I Told You: In Fanservice Arc, Chapter 2, after being convinced to tell his stories about the supernatural.