#•°. *࿐ Iris | verse : Perpetual Night .

[oubaitorisouls]

Iris tag dump !

[sevendeadlywhispers]

7Seals

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Chapter 12

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•Previous Chapter: Chapter Eleven

•Next Chapter: Chapter Thirteen

• Chapter List

• New chapters every Thursday

•Content: Levi Ackerman × OC female. Slow Burn! Canon verse!

• Word Count: 2.3k

• Warning: This content may not be suitable for all readers. If you've watched all of AOT then you will understand that the show handles heavy subjects such as abuse, racism, violence, and other heavy subjects. This fanfiction will also have the same heavy themes. Chapters with heavy themes will be marked with * at each chapter.

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"When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, 'Come and see.' Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword."

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Three Years Later

848

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The fire crackled, casting dancing shadows around my room as my knives chimed in a metallic duet. Outside, the night was draped in cold freckles of falling snow, the wind howling its melodic fury against the window.

Even with the clouds veiling the moon, its feeble light persisted, a reminder of the nights I yearned to spend on the roof, basking in her glow. Surviving these nights had become a silent victory, an unspoken conquest. The door creaked open, and boots scraped across the floorboards.

"Captain,"

“Iris.”

"What brings you here?" I asked, setting my knives aside. His unexpected entrance demanded my full attention.

"To check on you,"

"And how's that going for you?" I teased.

"Exactly how I thought," he grumbled. "We have an expedition tomorrow. Why aren't you sleeping?"

I shot back a playful grin, reveling in evident irritation.

"Well, look who's talking," I continued to teased, a big smile lighting up my face.

The man who never sleeps wants to chastise me for staying up?

"Not the point," he muttered, clearly frustrated. "We made a deal."

I leaned back, crossing my arms.

"You proposed a deal. I merely lent my ears," I retorted, my sass oozing.

Another audible exhale escaped Levi's lips as he paced like a caged titan.

"You need your rest for tomorrow. It's going to be a brutal expedition, and I don't need you distracted."

I couldn't resist the chance to tease him further.

"Awe, Captain," I cooed mockingly. "It's almost like you actually care for me?"

"Shut up," he groaned, clearly unamused. "If you get hurt, that's more paperwork for me. Which means stable duty for you."

Propping my feet up on the desk, I scoffed at the notion.

"We both know I don't do that type of labor," I asserted.

Levi's raised eyebrow hinted at a challenge.

"Oh? Really?"

"Absolutely," I insisted, punctuating my point with a fake yawn and a stretch. "Now, is that all you came for? You're disrupting my sleep schedule, Captain."

With an eye roll, he headed for the door, leaving me to relish alone in our chaotic conversation.

"Don't be late," he grumbled.

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"You're late."

I taunted the Captain as he sauntered into the stables. His gaze could slay a titan, but I grinned back, undeterred.

"Save it," he grunted, clearly not in the mood for my morning banter. Not that he ever was. Mornings and Levi – a match made in grumpiness.

Petra, always the dutiful soldier, handed him a canister. His reaction spoke volumes, a subtle acknowledgment of something he enjoyed. The aroma wafting from the canister hinted at it being tea.

"What's this?" Levi inquired, sniffing it with a barely perceptible smile tugging at his lips.

"Hey!" Oluo interjected, a pout on his face. "Where's my tea?"

"In the captain's hands," I laughed, already mounted on my horse.

"Come on. Let's go. Erwin and the others are waiting for us," Levi ordered, mounting his beautiful blood bay steed with practiced ease.

"Hey, Capt?" Oluo persisted, the perpetual chatterbox. "Can we just call off today's expedition? It's kinda chilly out."

"Oluo," I groaned, rolling my eyes. "Shut up. All you do is yap."

"I wasn't talking to you," he sassed back.

"I was talking to the Captain."

Levi brushed off Oluo's incessant chatter, a skill we all honed over time. I could sense his annoyance – who wouldn't be irritated by Oluo's yapping?

"The Captain obviously doesn't care," I quipped, earning a silent nod from Levi.

"You don't know what you're-" Oluo began, but the sharp pain from a bitten tongue cut him short. I shot him a threatening look.

"Wanna finish that sentence?" I challenged, and he vehemently shook his head, avoiding my gaze.

"Thought so," I said, urging my horse to pick up the pace.

"Hey," Eld's unexpected voice sounded next to me. I hadn't even realized he was riding alongside.

"Hey,"

"How you feeling?"

"Pretty good. Just want this to be over. What about you?"

"Same way. Hoping the Titans won't be as active today," Eld shared.

"Same here. Just another one of Hange's theories we have to endure," I chuckled.

"So, uh," Eld's shyness was practically dripping off him. "You ready for the Yule Ball?"

"Ready? Darling, I was born ready," I joked, twirling my hair. "Every year I grace them with my absence. Quite the gift, if you ask me."

"Oh yeah, can't forget last year. Stealing all those bottles of wine was a masterpiece," Eld chuckled.

"Erwin's still recovering from the shock," I replied, feigning innocence.

"Couldn't believe his eyes. It was like magic."

"Hey, shithead."

Levi's glare pierced through the conversation. "You better not pull the same stunt this year," he warned.

"Pull the same stunt?" I widened my eyes in mock horror. "Levi, dear, that would be so last season. I'm the trendsetter, not a copycat."

Levi's smirk grew as he glanced behind me. The amusement on his face grew by the second. His devilish smize said everything. I made the mistake turning around to see Erwin on his ivory stallion, trotting right behind me.

"Commander!" I greeted, overemphasizing my surprise. "What a delightful surprise, catching you out and about."

"Likewise," Erwin replied, amusement in his eyes. "I thought you might be hidden away, skipping our expedition today to nurse a secret stash of stolen wine."

"Me? Never," I gasped dramatically. "I'm a model of sobriety. A paragon of virtue."

"Really?" Erwin raised an eyebrow. "Not what a heard a minute ago. I recall you were admitting to all your dirty tricks from last year."

"A magician never reveals her secrets, Commander," I quipped, punctuating it with a wink. "Wouldn't want to ruin the mystique."

"Well, good for you. I need entertainment for this year's ball. I expect our lovely magician and her traveling circus all in attendance," Erwin grinned.

"Oh, sir, I have stable duty that night. Can't be missing out on the thrilling world of manure management," I teased, batting my eyelashes.

"We both know that's not your type of labor," Erwin chuckled as he rode off.

"Nice going, Iris. Looks like you've just gifted us all a mandatory ticket to the ball," Levi grumbled, riding next to me.

"Yeah, thanks a bunch," Oluo complained.

"If you don't shut up," I retorted, "we both know you were only going for the booze and the chance to impress some poor soul."

"I think it'll be nice," Petra chimed in. "Seeing everyone dressed up and fancy. It'll be a good squad bonding experience."

"Iris in a dress?" Oluo laughed. "Now that's a sight I don't want to see."

"Bozado, if you don't-."

"Enough," Levi groaned at us. "Focus on the task at hand. We've got Titans to deal with, not some stupid ball."

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The wind howled, biting through layers of clothing while Oluo complained about the biting cold as it echoed into the desolate landscape.

"How much are you going to bitch?" I asked him rolling my eyes.

The frigid air seemed to freeze my words as soon as they left my mouth. I couldn't feel the tip of my nose or my ears, and my hands struggled to maintain their grip on the horse's reins.

"Enough," Levi groaned, his annoyance evident in every line of his face.

"Guys, stop," Petra attempted to mediate. "It'll be over soon."

One would assume Petra was Levi's second in command the way she attempts to keep the peace between us all. She's always there for him, attempting to make things stress free for him.

"It's not like we've seen any Titans," Gunther chimed in, breaking his silence.

"True," Levi conceded, his eyes scanning the barren surroundings.

"Hey, four-eyes!" Levi's voice cut through the cold air. "Wrap it up."

"Negative," Hange retorted, excitement evident in their voice. They looked everywhere around them as they trotted around on their dusky dark horse.

"We still have tons of time left. Right, Commander?"

I couldn't care less about catching titans. The whole situation was a headache, and I wanted those giant pests dead as much as anyone else. The bickering between the scouts only added to the chaos, but I'd endure it to keep Hange content. There was a certain level of respect I held for that lunatic.

Amidst the arguments, I found solace in the winter beauty of Wall Maria. The blanket of snow concealed the scars of the past, hiding the devastation that had scarred this place. My pale steed carried me away from the noise, into the serene white wonderland.

The wind howled, a symphony of nature's fury against my ears, yet the peace I sought remained elusive. Within the walls of Maria, echoing footsteps reverberated against the concrete structures. I watched as the snow cascaded off rooftops, the sound growing louder.

Where is the ugly bastard?

Frantically, I searched for my flare gun but it was nowhere to be found. The landscape blurred as my steed carried me, and I strained to see the others.

Did I wander that far?

And then, there it was – the monstrous figure, mindlessly wandering through the ruins of what was once a thriving town. A bitter reminder of the world we lived in, where homes turned into graves and streets into stomping grounds.

It ran mindlessly, limbs flailing as it collided with anything in its path. With a swift motion, I tore off my winter coat, spinning my gear toward the nearest building.

I have to get that fucker before it catches the others off guard. Who knows if they are paying attention right now.

My sprint across the rooftops quickened, but the snow beneath my feet threatened to slow me down.

"Abnormal in the west entrance!" I screamed, my voice cutting through the icy air, adrenaline surging through my veins. The abnormal titan loomed, fifteen meters of grotesque menace, flanked by two others measuring seven meters each.

I shot my hooks into the withering clock tower, hurtling through the sky toward the repulsive creature. Blades clashed together as I executed a mid-air flip, the hot liquid of Titan blood splattering over my freezing form. The Titan beneath me began to crumble, but time wasn't on my side, not with the other two mindless freaks closing in.

My hook shot out, aiming for a smooth ascent, but it snagged on a layer of ice. For a moment, it granted me a fleeting lift, only to betray me as the frozen surface crumbled beneath, leaving me stumbling against the wall like some chew toy for the lurking monsters.

"Friggin' hell!"

The sting of pain spread throughout my body. Breathing became a laborious task, and an all-too-familiar ache, long dormant, rekindled with a vengeance.

"Damn it all!" I shouted, hitting the floor, each impact aggravating the throbbing pain. Lifting my head, frustration bubbled within me as I found myself surrounded by three towering seven-meter Titans.

I can handle these bastards, it's my own body I'm not so sure about.

Getting back on my feet proved to be a torturous endeavor, compounded by the challenge of fixing my ODM gear after that disastrous fall. The relentless cold added another layer of difficulty to the entire ordeal.

I attempted to shoot out my hooks, only to find my gear jammed by the fall. Whirls of ODM gear spun above me as I backed against the wall, frustration boiling over.

"Come on, you piece of junk!" I muttered, wrestling with the stubborn machinery. The Titans loomed, and my irritation skyrocketed.

I watched, jaw clenched, as they closed in. In a burst of desperate energy, I pushed myself away from the wall, my blades glinting in the harsh light against the backdrop of the encroaching Titans.

Yet, before I could make a move, a shadow darted past, a blur of blades and precision. In a seamless dance, they sliced through all three Titans' napes. The achievement appeared effortless to them, and for that person, it quite literally was. He stood triumphantly on the back of the last Titan as it crumbled, a silent savior amidst the chaos.

"Hey, shithead!" Levi's voice sliced through the frosty air.

"What's grinding your gears, Grumpy?" I shot back, reveling in the opportunity to add some spice to the icy atmosphere.

He closed the gap between us, that signature scowl etched across his face as he scanned me from head to toe.

"Tch," he uttered, as if his own standards were offended.

Without a word, he tossed a handkerchief my way, and I made a show of cleaning up the remaining Titan blood on my face, all while locking eyes with him.

"Why'd you decide to go off on your own?" he grilled me, irritation simmering beneath his words.

"The bickering was giving me a headache," I quipped, shrugging off his concern with my usual nonchalance.

"You could've died," he growled, his voice carrying an unmistakable edge of anger.

"Yeah, yeah, we've danced this dance before," I retorted, meeting his gaze without flinching.

"Where's your jacket?" he demanded, scrutinizing my lack of proper winter attire.

"With my horse," I informed him, fully aware of the disapproval in his eyes.

Levi shrugged off his own winter coat and draped it over my shoulders.

"You're gonna catch a cold," he muttered, a gruffness in his tone that almost passed for concern.

"I'll survive. You're the one risking pneumonia," I countered, attempting to hand the coat back, but he walked away before I could complete the transaction.

"Where's your horse? We're leaving." he declared, his orders ringing out in the frigid air. I followed him, smirking at the thought of Grumpy Levi catching a cold.

I think it's best not to mention my injury.

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[triumphorce]

under umbras of bundles  of stars,

canopies of leaves & branches that shatter-scatter sky image held indirect

as a gleam in eyes

as conscious lay in fabricated gardens watching memories, & desires in dream form

from across highway covered by

blue-white, 

yellow,

& orange lights

sound of tires, mufflers, sirens, 

amidst a higher sense 

attuned to

muffled far cries muffled while crossing empty lands

filled with chilling wind howls, stealing hope, 

which

kickstarts the power on survival mode..

ups& downs 

drown the cries further,

that

war, warn, or cheer..

or just sing..

maybe

a hymn made by souls for souls under same umbra to set free to lead to wonder & beauty beyond the surface of senses directly to free to seek love loss between me and me

buried beneath  road of longest journey to reach

turn feet all around

all about a world I have no idea about

just mad ideas about Kept in journals i turn over

to all but from in front of views not yet exploited by value of which is, views are power,  & are the will in word- to-page transaction

self diminished to substantiate

entries from entrails, not shown to be conquered

win or lose is how I never saw things.

win or win, only optionss, only progress..

yet..,always over complicating;

marathon sprints from start to finish

as I choose, If i choose, to continue to choose to overlook slopes in existence, where hides I, in ruins, digging for recognition

contribute to a mind overloading with what I know I owe society, &me,

burden of see-through beast, I see illusions of future thru,mistaken as truth, play victim, get stressed or believe I'm down on luck ,in dumps of depression and slum of beliefs,

 in a slump with headphones on temple and music up, reminisce about the golden olden, me and broseph, SSB, PSO, kanto, johto, cartoon cartoons, many one saturday morning’s, plenty cinnamon toast, fruity pebbles, so many card games at Books-a-million

but when I open eyes from trance

I'm forever face to face with today is today

not then not later...

just

 changes who changed how I changed regret and anger to compensate for blaming everybody but me

now I stare afraid at dilemmas mass effect decisions

 daily in-and-out-terventions

to keep from falling back into resentment.. spite blinding shelves of subconscious-self- disappointed perpetuating judgment of others binding progression, tying tongue, boiling blood because old habits die hard and I continue fucking up, up raging rapids w/o a paddle,   almost 3 decades of failing infinite (according to projections) feel I missed and am missing out on so much, so much world, so many words coiled inside, waiting to explode,

all the time, just like everybody.. everything mind sets sights on turns to target issue     how unfortunate for aforementioned coordinates, for anyone close enough for me to put in poems' , important enough to torment conscious over, used to be everybody, used to be nobody, used to be just some people, now its just me and i dont know him

   attempts to speak, to learn again, to teach me about me       to learn to teach                     myself, to set example for ambition directed toward a better version, better verses, better reimbursement of time given tryna be an extrovert, free from bitter, free from bitch asses, set internal standards to never  get fucked with again, fuck you, fuck him, fuck her, i only fucks with a journal & question  everyone,  everything, every word, every whisper, shit ima tell my children every day, breakfast lunch dinner,  do your best and fuck the rest, get it, get lit off enlightenment, fuck rest, save roosting for death, dont look at me, looknat the sky, seize the day in everyway brain permits, dont reach for others' and if anyone tries to take yours, that means they dont fundamentally respect life, so always permeate passion, ignore distractions keeping you from creating, test limits, test intentions, challenge imperfections with wisdom, know that perfect is just cosmetics, but i remain quiet.. remain tied up being alone, wondering..           whether I'm right to do any god damn thing        'cause if I don't do it right..       was I right to think I could, wrong to think I understood

am i wrong not to try?

what of what's sacrificed ?

how do i keep count

how did I end up here       in standby...

standing squeamish & deer eyed in light of opportunities rising in horizon of night skies, to step in to obtain warmth, maintain from days before, to do something, do the one thing, but when will I be ready will eyes be ready to comprehend right or wrong

only me, here. only us, on planet.

only who's responsible? how is who is affected by, afflicted by? when is too late? when is just right, always too soon to tell and.. if I don't do it now, then why expect change..

why, why, why

'cause I expect anything at all

anger toward unmanned vehicles imminent to collide with mine

driven mad up eighty-five degree angled walls during rush hour, sun beaming heat into ride, where i travel on path, thru battlefield of past where fallen intentions decompose to ignorance and wisdom sprouts in the mean time.. I'm in between times, feelin down, down down down down by the way

a trail thru fears past dead ends, rotting trees, looks like fallout hit

a past I try an' forget..

but remember out of reluctance 

to accidentally revisit regret,

stand next to biggest fears,  see if facing them uproots soul

rolls ideas in head, non-stop

like trolls troll under bridges 

to which billy goat gruff temper charges like crono's katana on zenan crossing,

lodes of odes to oaths, lightning loaded, aimed at negative minded sapiens bioshocks via rhythm and syntax, cryo cascades of ideas, locked away in moleskine or computer files to put to rest the rest of an inside in arrest to judgment, in side quest of public playthrough, i feel im on public display, static complaining in front of pretty much strangers   modes of awareness to mental problems i exploit to people who might not think im crazy, who might like what i write, might like to write about the same thing, might see giants in those same nodes i stand near, i hear crisp crackles filling an awkward air as i stare at words on sheets that i might tear, might let collect dust, or share prolly might be quiet, only sound is poetic drafts that fill in under open windows, I open slowly, cool rush, goosebumps, awake aware always, even when mind is a crinkled, crumbled candy wrapper still just construct wrinkles in time via           hairs stand, ovation, and encores to

     helping to cross over doubts, screams of slander, stop it all, right now, shed truth in another light, fed through veins like pen's ink to go over and correct vision of pinheads vane turnin art, free thought to cash and competition, trade purpose blow for blow with obstacles in the name of the next step, over opponents, trade nervous for nerves robust to withstand standing up to stretch and spread chest to stand up for work where time invested is braided circulation    goin in circles,        time wasted pet peeve number 1

    a nowhere never felt before        but something seems familiar.. overlooked,   under yards, under pressure of bone leverage, give life a lift thru cracks of a collapsing effort stretched behind chest and ribs

a heart glows in

hot coal hues hearth warmth under carbon sheets

till blood boils till steam coils from pores to kill the cold along roads

sun or none

no light above, isn't lack of.. 

(look inside)

----

harsh heat of reality hot enough to feel cold

make me go ghost in dark times..

friction strong enough to spark moist..

continue until i sear nerves disembody fromm pain till im felt by meta-form of others

heartfelt arcs between soul and soul-mind 2 mind

light releases thru iris folds spectacle in spectacles----

spectrum wheel of emotions spins &spins to  understand self an urge that intensifies the more  i live life as well as I can Improve every day, no excuse, don't ignore the corners, get behind my ears,every nook and cranny in creative muse-um, uhm, duh, raised on books, nintendo, animation,& wishbone, outside, only myself as playdate, use every square inch as play-scape under every hair in head, a mind uses face and body as way to create 4 fourever& vice versa to escape who ever & know I can do whenever, wherever

wherever i go, a voice in mind goes

that keeps on talkin , keeps me talkin tellin me I've talk--, wrote enough hoped enough to last a lifetime, but that's not enough

and I still got a lifetime

to either solidify or fuck it up

gradually let go of 

to concentrate on life's finest moments i build to build form in appreciation, saying get up, enjoy the sun rays breaching clouds just before dawn; gett off yo butt and do what you know what you taught you to do when you were at multiple low points and you promised you, you'd never fall to end, even if you fall again, again, and again, never stall in the middle of  takeoff stop in middle of road, cant press play if you lost remote, might as well get up and do it, crawl, run or walk away when the times calls to brawl dark-inner energy only honorable mentions defend health during dishonorable discharge of nega, into rivers, into blue sky.. bordered by white clouds and linear silver

a safe place, work space, desk clerk sifting day to day thru file cabinets memories in memos in notebook; written relativity explaining how I see, what I think say what i want like im eight, glad i spent so much time with words and space-bars,   to escape judgment, hatred,

anxious surrounded by bad vibes

above an Earth, below expectations; over a self under surveillance by approval from inside, crazy dimensions, On the fence between people and myself I close eyes, ride waves of nostalgia once more..

see plenty light to traverse pathways, walk fer hours, walk like back in younger days, playin, runnin, completely captivated immersed in games played, tv, roller blades, monopoly, scary stories, trampolines

&10thousand songs later, 10million thoughts later, here I am doing what I made me to.

can't wait for the next chance

supplied energy through lines to hidden gracelands.

[choosingfreedom-a]

some background for levi’s grisha!verse, bc @ghezenblessed‘s thread got me plotting:

born and raised in the barrel. actually born and raised, move over brekker.

his mother was a prostitute in the house of the blue iris in the west stave. levi lived in the brothel with his mother.

she grew ill and died when levi was eight years old. levi was found by his uncle, kenny, who took him in once he discovered that kuchel was dead and levi alone.

kenny was an infamous heartrender, known as “kenny the ripper” for the many merchants he had killed. unknown to levi, he had recently met and become allies with uri reiss, a merchant he had originally attempted to kill, but who had beaten him and promised to protect him from persecution if kenny was loyal to him.

levi is a heartrender. kenny recognized this in him, but never taught him to use his powers. knowing how badly grisha were persecuted in ketterdam, kenny never told levi that either of them were grisha. 

instead, he taught levi how to survive with his wits and his strength. by the time he was thirteen, levi could kill with or without a weapon and knew how to get anywhere in the barrel. 

kenny left when levi was thirteen, without an explanation or a goodbye. levi was left to survive by himself. initially he was a loner, making no attempts to join any of the gangs who ruled the barrel. he trusted no one and preferred to make his way alone. 

this lasted until levi met farlan church, a young gang leader. farlan, curious, set his gang on levi in an attempt to test his strength -- and watched levi beat them all. after this he decided to join with levi, and eventually convinced levi to be part of his gang. it didn’t take long for levi to rise to de facto leader of the gang, alongside farlan, though levi had never aspired to the position. 

a couple years later levi saved isabel magnolia, a girl he’d found starving on the streets, and took her into his gang. levi, isabel, and farlan became very close -- levi came to view them as family. they owned one gambling hall, of which farlan was in charge, but no brothels. levi wouldn’t stand for it.

levi’s gang isn’t as famous as the dregs or the dime lions -- they’re far less prominent and ambitious, focusing more on surviving and providing for their members than notoriety -- but levi himself is infamous as one of ketterdam’s strongest thugs, a man who can’t be beaten.

his unusual precision and awareness comes from his unconscious heartrending. like jesper, levi uses his powers without being aware of it. he can sense people around him, sense their heartbeats, instinctively know where people are and how they’re going to move. he doesn’t display the power normally associated with heartrenders -- stopping people’s hearts with a squeeze of his fist, etc etc -- because he’s never been trained and doesn’t even know he’s doing it, but he does tend to unconsciously slow his opponents’ reaction times and increase their fear.

he also displays the unhealthiness that comes from not using his powers properly. this is the main cause of his insomnia: he rarely sleeps, no more than two or three hours a night, and is plagued with nightmares. he looks perpetually sallow and shadow-eyed and has little appetite. it also increases the symptoms of his ocpd -- his need to clean and his anxiety about filth and disorder get worse when he hasn’t been fighting or displaying his powers at all.

this is the basis for his ketterdam verse. the logical continuation is for levi to be discovered by erwin smith, a grisha who recognizes levi’s powers, and, after isabel and farlan have died somehow, convinces levi to join his faction -- which is, probably, a group of grisha, though whether they’re aligned with ravka or not, who fuckin knows, i haven’t plotted that out yet, and anyway i still need to read the last two books of the grisha trilogy before i know all there is to know. but this should do for now -- i may add more to it later.