ZincAboutIt

Aww look at my past self. So innocent. So un-spiked...

I really like Elend, and I've liked him more with each reread as I have gotten older. Now that I've moved past my own "who am I?" crisis and can't identify as well with Vin, I find Elend more relatable. He also reminds me quite a bit of my husband, especially book 2 onward. I didn't have any problems with his Lerasium Mistborn status, Vin was still clearly his superior in talent through the whole series. His arc was believable, he made mistakes, got over it, and learned how to play the hand he was dealt.

1. How dare you? 2. Why? 3. What makes emus so disturbing? 4. Which Metallic Art power would you choose? 5. Why does Extra Light maple syrup exist when everyone wants the grade A amber syrup? 6. Favorite berry?

Just then, Nerin heard someone stirring from upstairs - a heavy step in the hallway. Rusts, she thought, quickly pouring another, larger, cup of hot tea and slathering a piece of bread with jam. Jeb peered round the wall by the end of the staircase, fully dressed and looking somewhere between curious and irritated. Nerin started Soothing him before he even set foot in the main room, pushing the plate of jam-covered bread towards him and giving him her most charming smile. "Good morning," she said sweetly. "I'm sure you're wondering--" "Why there are at least a half-dozen strangers in my parlor at seven in the morning?" Jeb finished, raising a silvered brow at the gathered group. His voice was slightly gruff, but there was a gleam of amusement in his eye. "I'm sure you've got an excellent explanation, Nerin m'girl." He took the cup of tea and sipped carefully, blowing on the steaming liquid, then picked up the bread and took a bite. Everyone was silent for a moment as he ate, then Nerin seemed to come back to herself. "We went out last night, to Depot 9," she began. Jeb raised his other brow at her, still chewing. "There was... some trouble," she went on. "The Farriers turned up." Jeb froze with his cup of tea halfway to his lips, then turned toward her in full. "The Farriers turned up? Rust and ruin girl, how are you all still alive?" Nerin Soothed him a little harder, taking some of his irritation. Jeb narrowed his eyes. "Who d'you think I am, girl, some fool on the street? Turn your brass off y' silly thing." Nerin felt herself blush a little, but she kept her composure. She didn't turn off her brass, but she did back off, likely enough that he wouldn't notice. "That man who came in here last night, who broke the window? He was there. I think he's their leader..." Her eyes slipped out of focus as she recalled the speed with which he moved, cutting through Willet's men like a scythe through long grass. "Jeb," she said quietly, shaking her head. "He was burning two metals."

Lita jumped a little at Laurelai's sudden flurry of motion, joining her in signing messages and reports to the appropriate channels, hoping that it might give her some room to plan a safe route to the TUBA forces. Well, a safer route. Judging from the images pouring forth from the city, there didn't seem to be a "safe place" left - aside from here. And we're leaving, Lita thought sourly, twirling her pen with a resolute grimace. Rusting wonderful. "Do we have any idea where we'll find the majority of TUBA's members? Any intel on their private residences, known associates, friends? Some place we can start?" That was generally the first rule of spying on one's enemies - keep track of them. Still, the DA wasn't exactly a typical organization. Depending on how you looked at it, the whole city was made up of enemies - or completely below the DA's notice. Clearly, that attitude needs changing, Lita noted, wondering how exactly she might bring that point up. Later. You can brainstorm clever ways to get yourself disintegrated later.

I’m sorry you are feeling that way! I’ve never felt that way but it sounds very frustrating, and I hope you can move outward and forward soon! Honestly I’m more likely on the other end of the spectrum in my trends towards total apathy. In any case, I wish you positive motion in all things.

Nerin poured everyone else some tea and set the steaming cups on the bar. "Please help yourself," she said, then sat back down, massaging her temples. "The way I see it is, the Farriers are the bigger threat. If we pay before our tithe is due, they might be willing to give us some extra protection against retaliation. If we pay the Scarlets, there's no guarantee they'll be able to protect us from the Farriers - they're already stretched thin. I'd be willing to bet that some have already left Willet for Lance - street toughs know who to bet on." Nerin looked back toward Attayl, who seemed to have the most experience in this arena. "What do you think? If anyone here has their ear to the ground on this, it's you. When Jeb gets down here, I'll need to convince him of one thing or another. What would you do?" @Sorana

Lita nodded and quickly stepped out of Laurelai's quarters, Alleytravelling to her own light blue door before stepping inside. She did a quick once-over of the room, taking in her now-cold cup of tea that she'd left on the kitchen table the day before and the spoon she'd been using to practice her Alleycant. It can't have been two days. I've been here weeks. Months. It felt like she'd been in the tavern ages ago, but it was barely any time at all. She shook her head, then crossed back into the bedroom. Lita changed into the buttoned shirt and high-waisted trousers she'd found before, folding the dress she was wearing into a hurried bundle and setting it on the narrow bed - though not before removing the two cookies she'd taken earlier. She took care to make sure the Coin was safely tucked away as well. Then, she rifled through the pockets of her old skirt and fished out two vials of tin, which she quickly put into her new pockets. She lifted the soles of each of her boots and took out two more vials, one from each of the hollows of her boot heels, before putting on the boots. Four vials of tin is more than enough, she thought. If she burned through even half that in the next few hours, she had bigger problems than where to get more. Lita did a final check of the rooms and found a suitable long coat in one of the closets, which she tugged on. Then, she Alleytraveled back to Laurelai's rooms. Laurelai was still poring over city maps, and KanMien seemed concentrated on receiving updates from Whisper and Kumiko out in the field. "Right," Lita said. "Where are we headed?" @Voidus

Lita frowned at Laurelai. "'Keep safe'?" She asked. "That's... nice." Odd, that's what it was. Still, Lita wasn't one to wave away a well-wishing when offered. She downed the rest of her port and stuffed another two cookies into her pocket. "Right, well, if we're about to leave the Alleys then I'll be needing more tin. There should be more in my old clothes back in my rooms, unless you have some?" Lita doubted it, but there was no harm in asking. The second vial in under a day? Came the little voice in her head. Lita ran her tongue along her teeth, trying to ignore the feel of her clothing against her skin, the slight changes in temperature in the room, the small sounds of peoples' breathing, swallowing, shifting position. It didn't matter, she was almost out, and she'd need more. You're fine. Once this is over, you can take a rest. No more for a little bit. It's fine. You're fine.

Renata moved quietly through the trees, keeping low and watching where she placed her feet. The house lay about thirty yards away, surrounded by fields on all sides but this one, for which Renata was grateful. Soon, the trees thinned out too much for her to hide behind, and she crouched lower into the high grass and small hedges. Renata skirted around the edges of the yard, eyes on the windows, bootknife loosened in its sheath. She spotted a pair of horses hitched outside the front entrance, and her heart beat a little faster. Two horses. That would be enough for four riders, allowing them to mount the injured and travel at greater speed. She considered stealing them right now - but no. What good were horses if they had no idea where they were, and no food or water? Renata continued circling the property, moving in closer and closer to the house. A little path wound its way down from the yard out into the fields, and if she squinted her eyes she could make out a larger path further away, cut like a brown line into the horizon. A road, maybe? It seemed relatively well-traveled. A smattering of old farm tools lay out in the yard, seeming to be recently-used. Not abandoned then. That was no surprise after the horses. She saw no evidence of any fabrials, and windows on every side of the house meant that there were likely no highstorms here. Bless the Almighty. Something moved out of the corner of her eye as she passed around the far wall of the house, and Renata ducked down, trying to keep her breathing quiet. When no one shouted an alarm, she raised her head tentatively, scooting forward a little and rising up onto her arms to take a look at the window. Figures moved inside the house, too far away to be seen clearly, but they appeared to be having some kind of meeting. Renata could hear them, relieved that she could actually understand some of the words they were saying - that is, until she began listening to them. "-- awful wailing --" came the voice of one woman, cut off quickly by another voice, a man's, who said something about "forests.... soldiers..." Renata felt herself go cold. Awful wailing? That could only have been that horrible screaming sound the glowing orb had made when Hellbent stabbed it with his Shardblade. They're talking about us, she realized. Soldiers? They had definitely made the right move in leaving the ruins of the manor. Who knows who had heard the terrible screams, the collapsing tower? What would be coming for them? Quietly, Renata crept backwards, always keeping her eyes on the house and occasionally behind her, until she was back into the cover of the long grass, then the trees. It was only when she could no longer make out the figures moving in the windows that she got up and began running. She reached the group a little while later, panting. "We may have a problem," she said, flopping down on the ground. "It seems all the noise we've been making at the manor house didn't go unnoticed. The people in that house were talking about some kind of 'awful wailing' sound they heard." @Sorana @I think I am here. @kenod @Silva @Blessing of Potency

Nerin closed her eyes for a moment, feeling guilt nip at her conscience. I invited him out. This is my fault, and now he's stuck in the middle of this ruin with the rest of us. She went back behind the bar and poured him another glass of whiskey, setting it on the table beside his armchair. The instinct to Soothe Brillin's anger, his frustration and indignation, rose within her, but she denied it. There was an art to emotional Allomancy, and knowing when not to Soothe someone was just as important as knowing when to Soothe them. What should she say to him? 'I'm sorry that people assume you're a ruthless monster?' 'I know what it's like to be despised for what you're born into?' Hollow words, meager platitudes. Brillin had certainly faced worse than Nerin ever would. No one trusted a Soother, but she'd never been run out of town, denied a room at an inn, watched as mothers pulled their children closer when she passed. Nerin picked up the newspaper, scanning the report and wrinkling her nose. "Well," she said. "I don't believe everything I read in the papers. So, for as long as you need a roof, you can stay here." If it's still standing at the end of this, that is. @I think I am here.

"No one knows where they're headquartered," Nerin said to Aben. "But I could ask around." She ducked behind the bar, pulling both of the payment notices out of the bottom of the cashbox and bringing them back out into the main room. Nerin held them up. "Both the Farriers and the Scarlets have demanded tithe. We can't pay both bills, and it would be stupid to do so anyway. Whoever we pay, the other gang will retaliate. We'll effectively be declaring for one side or another. The other option is, of course, to pay neither. In which case, they'll both come for us - something that I would very much like to avoid." Nerin could hear the quiet concern in Attayl's voice as she spoke to Brillin, telling him to get out while he could. To be honest, Nerin was considering doing the same thing. Sethwick's belonged to Jeb, she just worked here. And you live here, she thought, chewing her lip. Where would she go? Another parlor, another Octant, another slumlord to pay each month? Could she really abandon Jeb, after all he'd done for her? After all he hadn't done to her? "Attayl's right, Brillin," Nerin said. "You don't owe us anything. We're stuck here, but you don't have to stay any longer than you wish."

"Heightened resources?" Nerin said, dipping her chin and raising an eyebrow at Brillin. "Attayl felt Lance burning two metals. I thought he was a Twinborn until I saw him dropping speed bubbles, but he's a Lurcher too." She stood, beginning to pace. "He took down an easy half-dozen of Willet's nastiest at the Depot last night, not to mention, ah..." Not to mention crushing the Darksider boss into a fine bloody mess all over my shoes. Nerin squeezed her eyes shut and drank some more tea. "Even if he's not a Mistborn, which, by the way, I am not ruling out, he's worth at least six people in a fight. What if there are more? There won't even be a gang war if it continues this way - by this time next week we'll all be paying tithe to the Farriers whether we like it or not." Out of habit, Nerin started Soothing the room. Anxiety, fear, overwhelm, not helpful, not helpful at all. She only wished she could Soothe herself, and instead began worrying a hangnail on her finger with her teeth. The pain felt good, helped her think a little clearer. "There's really no contest here, we need to pay the Farriers. If we go now, we can ask for protection from the Scarlets - that is, if there's anything left of the gang to protect us from."

Nerin nodded to Garth when he entered the main room, looking tired. "Morning," she said. "There's bread, butter, jam, and tea." When John asked for the bathroom, Nerin raised an eyebrow at him. "A bathroom? What do you think I am, some kind of highborn lord? There's a privy shed round the back, 'fraid that's the best you'll get in the Hollows." @Ark1002 @John Flamesinger

Hardly anymore! I have no plan, please do as you see fit!

That’s a good idea. I’m not at home rn but I can write up something tonight most likely! Or I can leave it in your capable hands

How do you mean? Like, what they look like, do, etc?

“Apparently,” Nerin said, sipping her own tea, “the fighting at Depot 9 got a little nastier than we assumed. Someone blew up the place, damaged the working station and some tracks.” Probably the Scarlets - Willet had a hand in almost everyone coming and going from this Octant. If he thought his turf was getting taken, he might just ruin it for everyone rather than watch the Farriers take it over.

Nerin stuck her head back out of the kitchen, his cup of tea clutched in one hand along with her own. ”Bit early for the hard stuff, Master Brillin,” she said smirking. She set down his cup next to the armchair and followed his baleful gaze to the newspaper. Frowning, she slid it off his lap and began reading, finally reaching the end. ”Ah,” was all she said, then set the newspaper back on Brillin’s lap before quickly crossing to the bar and pulling out a bottle of whiskey and a short glass. Nerin leveled a healthy tot into the glass and walked over to set it next to Brillin’s cup of tea.

Brillin's careful attention to his appearance put a little warmth back into Nerin's grin. His formal posture was at comical odds with his touseled hair and slightly-bleary eyes. "Should be outside somewhere, boy comes by with them most mornings. I'll go look," Nerin said, getting up and sliding the bolt out from the front door. She walked down the steps, searching the street for the rolled cyllinder of broadsheets. Sure enough, it had rolled under one of the steps. Nerin fished it out and slid the twine off, unfolding it as she went back into the parlor. She gave the paper a good shake and handed it to Brillin, bustling into to the kitchen to get the kettle off the fire before it started screaming in earnest. "Tea?" She called to the little group, fumbling for cups and scooping several spoonfuls of tea leaves into a large teapot. The water let up a great cloud of steam as she poured it into the teapot, and soon she could smell the sharp, earthy scent of brewing tea. @I think I am here.

Nerin felt her smile cool into something icy and mirthless. Ahh, there it is. What are you thinking, then? That I've tricked you into liking me? You were keen enough to take up my offer of hospitality, eat my food. Suddenly, you're better than I am? "I am." She said, tilting her head just so. Rilen's eyes were narrowed, a genuine dislike brewing there. Never forget this, Nerin. These people aren't your friends - they're your customers. Then Attayl stepped towards her, defending her. Nerin blinked at the young woman, surprised. Hadn't she just looked at her with that same distrust last night in the alley? The teapot suddenly began whistling softly, and Nerin gave Rilen a tiny, sharp grin. "Tea? I've suddenly got the craving for something bitter."

Nerin pointed Attayl in the direction of the back yard and walked out in the main parlor with Rilen. She tugged a piece of bread for herself, spreading it thickly with butter and some jam. "So many questions," she said through her mouthful. "Sound like a conner. 'Where were ya last night?' 'Whodunnit, eh?'" She swallowed her bite, then sighed softly. "I'm Nerin Falswell, I work here - well, I live here too. Obviously." Nerin gestured to her wet hair and dressing gown. "Farriers and Scarlets are two gangs. Scarlets have owned this part of the Octant for years - as long as I've been here anyway. The Farriers are a new gang - leader's got some kind of special powers, apparently. I think we met him last night; busted up my rusting window. He's..." Nerin trailed off. What was Lance? A Mistborn? Something else? "Anyway, there was a big fight in Depot 9. We left before it got nasty." @Turtle373