#akyuurei

[que-de-metal]

Unreliable Narrators

[lllightcha]

Reiakyuu kiss

I don't know why it took me so long to make one of them like this but done! Maybe more at some point in the future.

[amemenojaku]

Akyuu/Reimu for the ship ask, please

hi I um. turned this into akyuurei manifesto. sorry

How differently do they think of each other now compared to when they first met?

I just reread Memorizable Gensokyo and some of the FS chapters where they interact (+the bit at the end of SoPM) back-to-back and it feels like they’ve come to really respect each other. When they first met properly in MG Akyuu tried so hard to impress Reimu, who looked amused by Akyuu’s work but didn’t seem to take her very seriously… I suppose that’s partly because they were younger then. I like that small panel in MG where Reimu introduces herself and Akyuu’s like “:O!!!”… By the time we see them together again in FS, they talk as equals. Reimu acknowledges Akyuu’s authority (she’s still super blunt about the chronicles but that’s Reimu for you lol), and Akyuu trusts Reimu to get the work done when it’s needed. They know they can rely on each other. I’d even go as far as to say Reimu treats Akyuu with a bit more softness than she does a lot of characters�� She worries about Akyuu walking all the way up to the shrine in a latter FS chapter, she doesn’t chastise Akyuu for organizing the symposium in SoPM despite how pissed she is at the other participants (although I do think she was still hurt… more on that below), etc. As they are now they see each other as individuals more than roles I think, which is an important part of their dynamic (and also of Reimu pairings in general imo).

What do their friends/family think of their relationship?

They’d be the type to go in circles for a while before committing to something. Take their time with it. Past a certain point Marisa and Kosuzu start scheming to get them together (much to the concerned parties’ annoyance). When it finally happens they’d be teasing but supportive. I think the relationship would be kept secret for a time… Some people still manage to sniff it out though, Yukari for example; she’d be satisfied with it. Two people she has a weird close situationship with, together? That works. There might be some gossip about them… But if/when they make it official to everyone, I honestly think they’d be blessed by most of the village – it’s the Hakurei shrine maiden and the head of the Hieda clan after all! Might break a few nameless village women’s hearts though…

How do their personalities/skills complement or contrast with each other?

They have a ton of parallels (human but not quite; role directly tied to the survival of the world they live in; bridge between humans and youkai, etc) but also a few differences both symbolically (Akyuu doesn’t fly (she’s grounded to (a relative) reality), Reimu is literally the power to fly (transcends reality); Reimu is the “eternal shrine maiden”, Akyuu doesn’t live past 30 (but even that can be turned into a parallel with Akyuu’s reincarnations*), etc) and in terms of personality (Akyuu being calmer in general and displaying better social skills). Imo it’s one of the relationships with the most interesting balance between contrast and similarities… They’re the same girl but they’re also on two different sides of the same coin and the pining that comes out of it is SO good.

*if you look too hard into this like I do you’ll see the child of Miare’s reincarnation gimmick as a parallel to how it’s implied that the past Hakurei shrine maidens were replaced often (died quickly?)

What is their favorite aspect of each other?

In canon, I’d say it’s how reliable they find each other. They’ve worked together/consulted one another a few times in FS for matters related to the human village, and despite some differences in opinion they’re on the same wavelength on a lot of issues. Now, with my yuri goggles on…. I think it’d be really sweet if they could make each other feel normal. If their similarities brought them together on a level different from their other friendships, where they can understand the weight of each other’s role and that whole “human but not quite” thing they share, and be able to completely treat each other as ordinary. I really really like it when a character with a lot of obligations gets to just be themselves, and I also love it when two characters who’re both special or generally “apart” from everyone else grow close thanks to that, so I’m just mashing things I enjoy lol

Do either of them have pet peeves about each other?

I like to think Akyuu has a healthy lifestyle and her days go like clockwork (except when she’s close to a writing deadline), so she’d probably find some of the situations Reimu ends up in very frustrating. I think that fits well with the fact that Akyuu doesn’t always realize how high her quality of life is and can sometimes act a bit inconsiderate towards people who aren’t as rich as her. Meanwhile Reimu’s a very honest, very blunt person who struggles with keeping secrets for long (see Forbidden Scrollery’s ending), so she probably wouldn’t like some of the secrets Akyuu keeps at times. But Akyuu’s an important figure to the human villagers and she does take her role as a chronicler seriously, so there must be moments she has to prioritize her obligations over honesty. I think that kind of contrast is very interesting.

How would each reconcile with each other after a fight?

They’re both stubborn… But I see Reimu as the first to try to reconcile most of the time. Her soft spot for Akyuu would take over her natural pride imo. So she makes the first move. Akyuu takes longer, but her apologies are sincere.

Buuut there’s one time I can imagine Reimu completely withdrawing into her shell and refusing to even acknowledge that she’s really upset at Akyuu until confronted about it: SoPM. I won’t ever be able to explain it better than que-de-metal did right here so I recommend reading it!!

What would be their ideal vacation getaway together?

Hot spring resort. Quiet, relaxing and good for Akyuu’s health! And plenty of time for Reimu to laze around and read mystery novels. (I’m projecting… I miss onsens…….)

Think of a new way (AU, different situation, etc.) they could have met for the first time.

I’m honestly a bit upset that Memorizable Gensokyo is when they first met proper, even though there’s no way the Hieda family isn’t regularly in contact with the Hakurei shrine maiden. I think it’d be cute if they met when they were both kids and Reimu was in training with her predecessor and they were both called at the Hieda mansion for something. Extra points if Akyuu was intrigued by Reimu’s natural powers and that’s where her desire to impress her in MG comes from, and if Reimu barely remembers that meeting (like with Alice in PCB).

[fukinkitty]

ive not posted here in a little i forgot. anyways akyuurei doodles

[lllightcha]

れいあきゅ ❤️🤍💜💚

reiakyuu...

[amemenojaku]

For the rarepair suggestions, maybe AkyuuRei (I'm a broken record) or Tsukasa x Sanae ? :>

[lllightcha]

All my Reiakyuu (or akyuurei) art compiled.

I love this pairing so much, Reimu and Akyuu various thing in comune I'm surprised there isnt more art of them together.

[fukinkitty]

AHHHH AKYUUREI

[amemenojaku]

@aulula​ we akyuurei enjoyers have to support each other 🤝 honestly when I was making it I felt a bit sad that she only had her main ship and nothing else so I decided it was fine to act a bit self-indulgent once in a while... looking at the full list now and the last 20-something which are all just obscure rarepairs I realize I probably could’ve added keine/akyuu or aya/akyuu too...

@potentialplateau imagine the possibilities if touhou yaoi weren’t as niche as it is right now.

[que-de-metal]

Touhou Ship Week 2023 (Oops! All AkyuuRei) - Day 6 : Commitment / Conflict

The scene where Reimu barges in the Symposium has an unbelievable grip on me. Its intended purpose surely wasn't angst when Zun wrote it but it makes me so emotional.

I've talked about it before but I feel like the five years after MoF (SA, UFO, TD) are the games in which we see the grimest version of Reimu. They're the ones where her "carefree" descriptor from earlier in the timeline completely ceases to be relevant and she sounds very angry in most of her dialogue. I've always headcanoned this as a reaction to Kanako, Byakuren and Miko showing up back to back. before them religion in Gensokyo was pretty straightforward, and so Reimu had a set role to play. It must have been extremely hard to spend your entire childhood and early adulthood training for a job that you thought you were meant to do, only to find out that other options existed and you could have lived literally any other life you wanted and AAAAH I'm going to stop before writing a wall of text but I can't be the only one to see this right? That there's definitely an era of Touhou games where Reimu is NOT OKAY...

And the fact that all of these new and potentially scaring things culminate in a summit where Reimu wasn't invited and the fact that this betrayal was orchestrated by MARISA her best friend and AKYUU the one other person who JUST LIKE HER had her lifestyle and job assigned to her by the structure of Gensokyo without having a say in it... It is gut-wrenching to me and actually it was re-reading SoPM with that in mind that got me to ship AkyuuRei in the first place! Reimu and Akyuu having similar relationship to humanity and destiny is already good, but the fact that we get canon betrayal echoing these two themes makes it SO MUCH BETTER

also hi this is my first post under this new url but it should NOT be hard to figure out who I am lmaoo

[que-de-metal]

Touhou Ship Week 2023 (Oops! All AkyuuRei) - Day 5 : Trust / Performance

If you're a youkai at a Choujuu Gigaku concert and you see the Miare girl being obnoxious and catching Raiko's drumsticks for the fifth night in a row first of all mind your own business and second of all do NOT try to drag her into the mosh pit because the Shrine Maiden will kill you

[que-de-metal]

Touhou Ship Week 2023 (Oops! All AkyuuRei) - Day 4 : Habits / AU

Historical fantasy writer / Main character that came to life

[que-de-metal]

Touhou Ship Week 2023 (Oops! All AkyuuRei) - Day 3 : Creativity / Adventure

If I'm honest with myself flying with Reimu is probably uncomfortable as hell but as a treat I'd like to imagine it all airy and delicate like in Howl's Moving Castle...

[que-de-metal]

Touhou Ship Week 2023 (Oops! All AkyuuRei) - Day 2 : Sweet / Pride

Give them something to talk about ;)

[que-de-metal]

You wrote what?

Touhou Ship Week 2023 - Day 1 : Confession / Legacy

Hey when your crush is also the biggest fan of your anonymous work should you tell her about it or lie to keep the magic alive? Asking for a friend.

[que-de-metal]

When her narrative echoes with yours 😳