#hamelin born

[tanoraqui]

Nightblood in Lord Ruler-era Mistborn is a recipe for an even greater bloodbath then canon.

Where's the meme template of really thick book/really thin book when I need it. Mistborn original trilogy vs Mistborn original trilogy if Kelsier had Nightblood. Step 1: the Lord Ruler is now dead. Step 2: Kelsier is now dead. Step 3: very probably Ati and Leras are both now dead, because Kell hung around as a Cognitive Shadow through sheer force of will just long enough to stab them, too.

[tanoraqui]

Thanks solely to you, the Stormlight Archives have now become my current hyperfixation. I’m going to have to read them now, aren’t I? (Side note: I wasn’t expecting there to be quite this much fanfic for it on AO3)

Well, I am DELIGHTED to reassure you that there is PLENTY of canon to sustain a hyperfixation! Have fun.

[tanoraqui]

(Spoilers for Stormlight Archives/Cosmere in general); it amuses me greatly that Retribution's One True Fear would be Harmony holding Nightblood. This, for multiple reasons, would probably never happen, but I like picturing it/his reaction to this scenario.

The joy I get from the certainty that Nightblood is inevitably going to be absolutely pivotal to the fate of the Cosmere is so real, you don’t even know. There’s going to be a whole space opera epic final trilogy and the most important and epic weapon is going to be this talking sword, I’m certain of it. It’s going to destroy evil sooo good.

To your actual ask: I think Autonomy would be even more scared of that than Retribution! Harmony seems to be her natural antithesis, Intent to Intent—cooperation vs individualism!—and the concept of merging with another Shard must be anathema to her, must inherently be a threat.

Also, I’m actually quite concerned above the reverse: I hope Szeth spends the next 10 years very carefully keeping Nightblood out of the hands of any agents of Retribution. Much though it would go so hard to have the Blackthorn riding a blood-red steed that is the Thrill and wielding a smoke-trailing, Investiture-devouring sword capable of slaying gods, I don’t, like, want it.

(That’s a lie. It’d be so fucking awesome. But only if Nightblood then is like, Wait, I’m not sure these people are evil? I don’t want to destroy people who aren’t evil. That would be…evil. Are you evil?!

[sparklecryptid]

Some Random Thoughts That Came To Me At 1am Re: The new Seer!Regisdaughter!Luche AU

(see title!)

By in all honestly, I'm mainly dropkicking these in your direction because my melodramatic gremlin brain enjoyed these, and I thought your might as well. They are *not* an attempt to force you into anything or to tell your story for you. 

So I just - after it comes out about Luche. But before she returns to the city. There's the most clandestine investigation/background check into Luche Lazarus that has *ever* been run in recent memory. And maybe the Powers That Be latch on to the not-insignificant fact that Luche is Luche Lazarus. And that there are other Galahdians by that name in the City. Or - maybe they don't. 

Whatever the result. One day, a Lazarus who is very obviously full-blood Lazarus shows up at the Citadel as the Official Representative of the Clan. For some reason, my brain keeps insisting that the Lazarus Representative is dressed in some kind of formal outfit that is almost never seen - my brain is also insisting that it's like the one Aereon wears in The Chronicles of Riddick, complete with chains dragging behind them. 

Galahdian Glaives: Holy shit it's a Lazarus in formal ghost-wear. OH SHIT.

The Lazarus is presented to the Kind and his inner circle. Who have *questions*. 

I don't think that Regis et al quite *got* the Clan Structure of the Galahdianss before. They're an explanation about how Luche is Luche Lazarus, meaning that she is part of a Clan, that she has the backing of a clan. She's one of them. 

There's an explanation of the Lazarus Curse of the Sight. 

There's an explanation of Luche's private family life, and how her mother seduced a Lucian Prince into a one-night stand to see if Lucis Caelulm blood would render the sight more controllable - and how Luche was, essentially, a failed experiment.

(The listening Galahdian Glaives are getting so much info on things that Clan Lazarus usually keeps to themselves - not to mention Luche's background.)

And somewhere, in the twisted mass of explanations that leaves Regis - breathless and aghast and proud and so fiercely concerned for this daughter he never knew the existence of - somewhere, it comes out that the only authority Luche might grudgingly defer to is that of the Clan. Of the Clan Head, who can order her home - and she would come. 

Someone asks, orders, begs them to do that, and the Representative - 

'No', they say, smiling absently. 'No.'

'No. We've done enough to Luche Tita's-Daughter.'

'We can, at the least, do this for her.'

Okay so FIRST OFF @hamelin-born I LOVE talking about aus and slow roasting ideas with you and i never feel pressured so dont worry about that!

Second of all! I love this!! I just. Regis gets an explanation and the Representative of Clan Lazarus refusing to tell Luche to come back because they know what they’ve done they know that despite everything they could have done they /left her alone/

This is the least they can do.

Third of all have a short thing because I’m on my tablet and have no access to read mores.

-

When he had been younger Regis had wondered about his title. He had wondered why he had been given the mantle of Father. Was it meant to dictate that he was the father of his nation? He didn’t know but it gnawed at him like a pest. He would have preferred something grander.

Then Noctis came and Regis had felt nothing but love for his son. It was then he thought he knew why he had been dubbed the Father. His love for Noctis is strong enough Regis is more than willing to do whatever it takes for his son to be safe.

(A task he is destined to fail but he will try nonetheless.)

But in all his love for his son he had failed to notice his daughter. He had failed to look deep enough at the Commander of the Glaives and see Luche Lazarus for who she is.

His daughter. His wayward daughter that ripped a battlefield apart just to make sure her men were safe. His daughter who has suffered and come through it remaining proud and defiant. His daughter who is stronger than anyone has given her credit for.

He loves her.

He has met her - of course he has - and perhaps it is hypocritical of him to say he loves her as his own after only a few meetings, after meeting her and not knowing but he does. She is his daughter, that is enough to earn his love whether or not she has a noble heart.

Luche is his daughter and Regis wants to speak with her. To get to know her. To give her anything she wants. He wants to be her father.

But she is missing, and her Clan Head refuses to call her home.

She is missing, and Regis knows he cannot force her to come back. He knows he cannot order the Glaives or the Guard to look because she will run and never be found. All he can do is wait.

He has never hated waiting as much as he does now.

[sparklecryptid]

Huh. Did /you/ know that Delta Rae's 'Bottom of the River' song was based on the Salem Witch Trials?

I didn’t! But that does tend to fit the theme of the song, even if it’s been a while since I listened to it

[tanoraqui]

Can we have some more MDZS Abhorsen AU, please?

(re:)

Well, I wasn't gonna, but then I got thinking about it...

So, the au where we ignore most of the actual Old Kingdom Trilogy plot. It's a dark timeline: the proper royal bloodline has died out, as have the Abhorsens; the Great Charter Stones are broken; Belisaere is a pit of death, etc. Wens are Clayr (so THEY'RE not doin' too well either), and the only reason Orannis hasn't broken out is that at some point during the Sunshot Campaign, Wei Wuxian took Mogget's very emphatic advice and made sure everyone who knew about Wen Ruohan's discovery and excavation was very dead.

At the Nightless City, Wei Wuxian - not yet called the Yiling Patriarch - unleashes a Free Magic monster like no one has ever seen before, an entity like a pillar of lightning and fire with a voice like roaring flames, screaming cats and chiming bells. Glaciers melt. Wen Ruohan falls.

The monster goes its own free way, per agreement, and Wei Wuxian walks away with a silver ring on one finger, because someone has to and it can't be Yrael himself. No Abhorsen means no one to command him, should the binding be reinstated, but it also means no one has the authority to break it fully. Wei Wuxian promises to keep it safe and hidden, Yrael promises not to harm any humans without provocation for at least 10 years, and they part as friends.

So...they go their separate ways. Yrael goes to catch fish, lie in the sun, sing among the stars and see what else this world has to offer, these days. Wei Wuxian goes to drink, disappoint his siblings, be kissed on a mountain and steal 50 Clayr from a prison camp and take them to the Burial Mounds (lost Belisaere), and...etc. At the second Battle of Nightless City, he only has himself and his bells, but these are certainly dread enough, even against an army of the best Charter mages in the land. There are plenty of dead, here, after last time.

Jiang Cheng picks up his bells, and hides them. Jin Guangyao has read a great deal more about the history of the Abhorsens and their servants, and takes the ring from his finger.

They did manage to partially recreate the Tiger Seal in canon, so I guess I have to give Xue Yang and Jin Guangyao the credit of being able to somehow track Yrael back down and survive him long enough to force - the collar back onto him, binding him back down to a discreet white cat again...but like hell is he going to stick around. Jin Guangyao gets the ring he coughs up, but he's no damn Abhorsen, only a piece of the dregs left behind, so Mogget is fuckin' out of here.

Hmm does he end up finding Nie Huaisang, and allying with him? Possibly. Probably. They'd both be looking around for ways to kill Jin Guangyao without being noticed.

...Needless to say, Mogget is entirely capable of guiding Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, and everyone else all unknowing on the path to Jin Guangyao's absolute destruction. But I think it's much funnier if that's Nie Huaisang's plan, per canon, but Mogget is like "nah, Wei Wuxian's decent people" and crashes halfway through and tells them everything. Everyone else needs manipulating maybe, still, but it's not like they're going to be any more or less against Jin Guangyao after, like, Yi City or so. Also, on the topic of Yi City, Mogget would really like Xue Yang dead. He has a grudge.

and the juniors would be SO CONFUSED if they're lost in this strange death city, shrouded with fog, Dead Hands coming at them from every side and necromantic poison in the air, and Hanguang-jun is here but its his mysterious twinky partner with the necromancer's? panpipes? on his hip? who seems to be in charge right now?? He's looking around for a place to go, and I really cannot emphasize enough the surrounded by Dead Hands and airborne poison -

"This way!" a voice calls, and you look up and dashing along a rooftop, just barely visible in the fog, is a small white cat with a red collar - and Mo Xuanyu says, "Hey!" like he's seeing an old friend just beckons you all to follow the cat without question.

[tanoraqui]

Do you have any good Nie Huaisang fanfic recs?

Well, there’s this nice au of mine, which I’ll update later today...and this ramble, which - what the fuck happened to my formatting. Tumblr, why.

Also:

The Lost Cause, an absolutely iconic Nie Huaisang fic in which he’s slightly more proactive and approaches Jin Guangyao with a proposal to kill Jin Guangshan. Includes the utterly ruthless exchange: He smiled at Jin Guangyao and said, “Hey, san-ge. I won our game.” “What game?” Jin Guangyao asked, his eyes glassy. “Which one of us could convince the other that he was harmless.” Nie Huaisang’s smile widened. “I won.”

Wandering Eyes (That Nie Mingjue will gouge out if he notices, Father, STOP), in which Nie Huaisang seduces Jin Guangshan for the greater good. Nice bit of a twist in Ch.2.

The Games We Play, in which Nie Huaisang has a perfectly innocent friendship with Sect Leader Yao that has nothing to do with manipulating public opinion for fun and his friends’ benefit. I think he invited JGY to help kill JGS in this one, too, because honestly that’s always the best timeline. Features quality confused, mildly disgusted, but ultimately supportive Nie Mingjue.

Remains, post-canon Nie Huaisang brings his brother back Ghost General-style (his corpse is right there, after all)

(I’m gonna be honest: every one of these is just a rec I’m passing on from @professorsparklepants or @lyratalus)

I also recommend modern AUs, like, in general? I haven’t read any that are Nie Huaisang-centric, but the near-unanimous consensus seems to be that once humanity invents social media and the word “metrosexual”, Nie Huaisang will achieve his full potential and it’ll be all over for us hos, and for once, near-universal fandom consensus is right. I’m particularly fond of his appearance in (roughly) Mozzie’s role in this White Collar AU (alas, a WIP) and - okay so this fic is a 50k wangxian slowburn all, for god knows what reason, in one chapter, and you should not read it if all you want out of a fic is Nie Huaisang, because he’s not even that involved. BUT the Nie Huaisang content is flawlessly enigmatic and the entire fic is, and I cannot emphasize this enough, HILARIOUS. AU in which college senior Wei Wuxian starts flirting with someone on Tinder who’s catfishing by pretending to be famous actor Lan Wangji, except, ~plot twist~, it is in fact Lan Wangji. Over the course of figuring this out, Wei Wuxian is forced to stop being so damn self-destructive 24/7 and accept love from all his family and friends. Please just go read the first couple paragraphs to understand how funny (and often heartbreaking) it is throughout.

[rayearthdudette]

Just wanna say that I really enjoy all your work! Although I must admit to a sneaking fondness/admiration for your Nyx/Cor/Titus OT3 stuff; I don't really get many chances to read that pairing. And thank you so much for giving Titus two mothers! Thanks to you, several people I blog with have gleefully adopted that head canon!

Aw thank you! I enjoy your work too :3

I'm tickled pink that others love the idea of Titus having two moms that are Original Badasses™ because I live for this hc ok

Just-

Just this swashbuckling Altissian woman who may or may not be smuggling goods to fuck over Emperor Aldercapt's day out of spite, sweeping a small town daughter of a farmer off her feet and then they have Adventures.

And somewhere in the middle they get married a la Pirates of the Caribbean- 'BARBOSA! MARRY US!' I'M A LITTLE BUSY AT THE MOMENT!

And then they decide that they want a child.

And then there is their Titus. Their bby boy. Who grew so fast and big and strong.

Just yes. Yes please.

Also yesssssss come join me in the Titus/Nyx/Cor pit *rubs hands together while cackling* they have so little content for such potential lol