Type-Moon Fanfic Idea Thread

[Dullahan]

Let us propose a question (throwing open to the table a question developed elsewhere, more like) concerning Servants, Heroic Spirits, or, as they are now known, Modern Yu-Gi-Oh Cards for Modern Gentlemen.

As is well-known, Servants are terrible. Simply the worst. God-awful.

Let us nonetheless consider the possibility, of a fic - we would imagine it something along the lines of a prequel/'servant while alive' fic, though there is no strict requirement - commencing from the general premise of "servant X but not terrible."

This is to suggest the existence of at least one (1) servant which, notwithstanding that it is terrible, yet retains a certain kernel of something, some premise or idea, which was left undeveloped, a potential squandered, a challenge left unmet, a problem found difficult and left untried by the creators (who in any case are just interested in selling things to you and don't care much for challenges).

The question I pose to you, thread, is that of which servant or servant(s) - though let's not be overly optimistic - you consider to have the most potential for a productive "servant X but not terrible" fic. Don't all jump up at once.

I will not define what 'terrible' means. Those of you who already know should need no instruction. Those of you to whom it remains unclear are not qualified to answer this question.

Spoiler:

Incidentally, my choice was Scathach. No prejudice though.

[Skull]

Merlin.

[Mattias]

Herc going crazy back when he was alive and heroes having to slow down his rampage until he snaps out of it. Basically, ancient Greek Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

[Rafflesiac]

Medb

[TwilightsCall]

I feel something like the Epic of Gilgamesh, or some similar myth, could be interesting written in a Nasuverse style. You might have to strip away a lot of the Fate-ness of Gilgamesh for that to work, but I imagine that is in the spirit of the prompt.

I would also be interested to see if anything could be done with King Hassan, though I imagine the amount of Fate-ness you'd have to extract would render him entirely unrecognizable.

[Dullahan]

this basically happened in CCC.

[You]

I would also be interested to see if anything could be done with King Hassan, though I imagine the amount of Fate-ness you'd have to extract would render him entirely unrecognizable.

For all his "epicness" King Hassan really is an empty slate.

[SpoonyViking]

That's often the case.

[Kamera]

The question I pose to you, thread, is that of which servant or servant(s) - though let's not be overly optimistic - you consider to have the most potential for a productive "servant X but not terrible" fic.

Personally I think Geronimo

Incidentally, my choice was Scathach. No prejudice though.

Why tho, what's her potential?

[Skull]

Why tho, what's her potential?

Not to speak for Dullahan, but Scáthach has plenty of potential. It's not immediately obvious because her own role in myth is limited to just being Cú Chulainn's teacher, but if you're making a fanfic that's not only about Servant fights then you actually have a lot to work with. From being a teacher of some of the greatest Celtic heroes, to her home being situated on the "Land of Shadows", to the contact and settlement of Nordic travellers on Skye (how she learned Runes maybe?), to Clans on Skye historically going to war and trying to control her castle - you could explain that as them trying to gain control over the Shadow place. Hell, she even had a daughter in myth so maybe she has descendants in the modern day.

That's why it's saddening that she's so...flat in terms of characterisation.

[Leftovers]

Let us nonetheless consider the possibility, of a fic - we would imagine it something along the lines of a prequel/'servant while alive' fic, though there is no strict requirement - commencing from the general premise of "servant X but not terrible."

This is to suggest the existence of at least one (1) servant which, notwithstanding that it is terrible, yet retains a certain kernel of something, some premise or idea, which was left undeveloped, a potential squandered, a challenge left unmet, a problem found difficult and left untried by the creators (who in any case are just interested in selling things to you and don't care much for challenges).

The question I pose to you, thread, is that of which servant or servant(s) - though let's not be overly optimistic - you consider to have the most potential for a productive "servant X but not terrible" fic. Don't all jump up at once.

It'd have to be a character whose TM interpretation holds the potential for interesting development /and/ whose myth's contextualisation into the TM setting would generate enough points of originality to make retelling it worthwhile. I'm kind of coming up empty on a Heroic Spirit that qualifies for both.

[Dullahan]

none of the moderns, that's for sure

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gilles is a tenuous possibility. i understand FSF has done things with francois prelati - so much the worse for them!

hassan (cursed arm) conceivably, once people get over this idea of ZOMG TEH HASHAHSHIN AND RICHARD COEUR DE LEON FIGHTING DAAS IN TEH THIRD CRUSAHEDE!!11!! and start thinking correctly

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cursed arm hassan was very good in HF movie 1. his manner of speaking, and owl-like head movements especially. they were - how do you say - very 'moe'

[Leftovers]

once people get over this idea of ZOMG TEH HASHAHSHIN AND RICHARD COEUR DE LEON FIGHTING DAAS IN TEH THIRD CRUSAHEDE!!11!! and start thinking correctly

never

[Skull]

Merlin.

I suppose I should actually elaborate on why I picked Merlin...

It should go without saying, but Merlin being half-demon sets him quite apart from most other Heroic Spirits. I found the Mixed-Bloods and the concept of "Inversion Impulse" to be one of the most interesting aspects from Tsukihime. Back to Merlin and I would've loved to have seen them explore a more complicated take on the character rather than the "Pervy Mage" (forgive the Naruto reference) we ended up getting. This is a man whose entire birth was engineered by the Devil to halt the advance of Christianity, only to be stopped by the intervention of his priest foster-father who raised him to be a devout Christian...yet his demonic nature still factors into his downfall by Vivian's hands. Thus had I been in charge of writing his character it definitely would've taken inspiration from Akiha and Kishima - although the more I think about that, the more it sounds like he'd end up like Kotomine lol.

Other than his heritage, you also have the fact that Merlin lived quite a long life and was influencing many events thanks to his ability to see the future. You could easily go into a "Free Will vs Destiny" situation especially regarding the situation with Uther Pendragon. Merlin should have by all means been able to see the assassination of his friend and king, yet he doesn't seem to do anything about it? What if he believed that things had to be that way because it would lead to the rise of Artoria - what if *he* was the one who made the assassination possible because "you can't fight fate" and he lives tormented by knowledge that humans would be better off not knowing?

Just my two cents is all.

[Walnut Sparks]

Why tho, what's her potential?

I'm gonna guess Dully is Irish?

[Draconic]

I feel strangely opposed to all of this, but upon a few minutes of contemplation I'm finding that my reasons are vindictive and kind of pathetic. Also, some of these concepts are actually kind of interesting.

Both of Skull's proposals are surprisingly interesting considering I've been predisposed to find Merlin... um... insufferable since before I had a proper grasp of his character. And it didn't help that ten minutes into his F/GO entrance he directly references his own goddamn memes.

Scáthach is pretty... one-track in the TM canon too. Honestly, the only real development I think we ever see her get is

Scáthach-Skadi in which she's 2,000(?) years younger than 'Shishou.' I'll admit that I'm pretty intrigued by this idea:

Hell, she even had a daughter in myth so maybe she has descendants in the modern day.

So, very secretive clan of mages specializing in very powerful runic magecraft? Though it'd be a bit of a trick to manage having

Scáthach herself in the fic of the 'descendants' idea is what one goes with considering she's not dead and therefore can't be summoned, though that would be against the rules of the prompt anyway. Interplanar communication?

For a King Hassan story, I could imagine something akin to a fable about the founding of his order, but I feel that it might be more interesting to have a fic about when he first disappeared, whether being told from his own perspective or the perspective of his successor. If the latter, the story seems like it would inevitably have to end with his successor's death, by his own hand.

[Historia]

It'd have to be a character whose TM interpretation holds the potential for interesting development /and/ whose myth's contextualisation into the TM setting would generate enough points of originality to make retelling it worthwhile. I'm kind of coming up empty on a Heroic Spirit that qualifies for both.

Nero?

[Leftovers]

what about him

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Actually after some soul-searching I reckon a kind of liminal Heian era Japan where a non-meme Yorimitsu and the Shitennou stamp out the age of gods one youkai scalp at a time would be appealing.

[Historia]

You have a lot going on in the Judio-Claudian dynasty revolving around the times of Nero that could work with her TM interpretation and no fics I know of have explored that era.

What comes to my mind is her nightmares of her mother. Use it as a jumping point for how her moe personality develops through mind-break. It would revolve around her and Agrippina's relationship. Throw in Seneca with his teachings and tragedies, Africanus, Boudica's rebellion, The Great Fire, her imposters, etc.

[LJ3]

Well that's something that's not gonna happen in TM