#''now now no tears monsters see tears and it only whets their appetites'' KAZ

[drenchedretribution]

“Now, now, no tears. Monsters see tears and it only whets their appetite.”

Indie K.az B.rekker from the S.ix of C.rows duology portrayed by S.

Entirely Novel based aside from using F.reddy C.arter as the faceclaim for ease. Open to exploring show element in threads upon discussion.

Blog under heavy Construction. General info under readmore.

Sideblog of Multimuse: @abundantaliases

Kaz Rietveld. Pigeon. Dreg. Dirtyhands. Bastard of the Barrel. Kaz Brekker.  He would have you to believe he was birthed of the barrel, and perhaps Brekker was— but not Rietveld. Rietveld was born on a farm. Rietveld once had a father, he once had a brother. He once believed in luck, in hope, and fairness. Perhaps Rietveld still did, but Brekker didn’t. Brekker knew better. Rietveld let things happen to him that Brekker never would have allowed. Rietveld let himself be drowned. Yes, Brekker knew what hope had done to Rietveld and he would not entertain it. He would drown Rietveld again himself if he needed a reminder of what his foolishness had done. He would do it again and again. He would drown him until he was drenched in the truth, until he realized that there was only one way to right things. Until he sought retribution too. It wouldn’t heal him, but it’d right the wrongs that it needed to. It would lay Jordie to rest.

———————-

General Guidelines

Semi-Selective: I will only do threads and the like with mutuals but my inbox is open for non-mutuals to send things, though that doesn’t necessarily mean I will answer them.

I am Cross-over, OC, and multi-muse friendly!

Violence, mental abuse/trauma, and various other triggering themes are heavily present in the series and should be expected frequently throughout this blog. Thus, I won’t often feel compelled to tag triggers though I will upon request.

If we are mutuals, please feel free to send memes, ask to plot, and anything of the like as I would love to interact even if Kaz may not! Feel free to ask for my discord as well to chat and plot. 

I am only semi-active so I ask that you be patience with my replies. I certainly love to write, but sometimes the time is just not there or the muse doesn’t want to cooperate.

My portrayal will be based in the duology as that’s where the richness of the characters are best represented. I am open to exploring interesting plot points from the show upon discussion though.

Default verse is Post-CK so age will be 18 or older depending on the timeframe of the thread. I am absolutely open to threads that happen pre-SOC or during to explore Kaz's time early on in his journey in Ketterdam more.

I am in my 20s so would prefer to interact with 18+ muns given the nature of the content in the series. 

No OOC drama entertained. I am here to explore characters and have fun doing so thus I won’t be getting involved or paying mind to anything of that variety. I completely ignore call-out posts. 

That’s about it for now! I’ll try to flesh everything out more soon~

[starg1rlie]

two of my favorite scenes so far in crooked kingdom and six of crows (spoilers)

Wylan shuddered. Through the crack in the door, he saw Kaz squat down so he could look the little girl in the eye. "What's this big fellow's name?" Kaz said, laying a hand on the dog's wrinkled neck.

"This is Maestro Spots."

"Is that so?"

"He has a very fine howl. Da lets me name all the puppies."

"Is Maestro Spots your favorite?" asked Kaz.

She appeared to think, then shook her head. "I like Duke Addam Von Silverhaunch best, then Fuzzmuzzle, then Maestro Spots."

"That's good to know, Hanna."

Her mouth opened into a little O. "How do you know my name?"

"I know all children's names."

"You do?"

"Oh, yes. Albert who lives next door and Gertrude on Ammberstraat. I live under their beds and in the backs of the closets."

"I knew it," the girl breathed, fear and triumph in her voice. "Mama said there was nothing there, but I knew it." She cocked her head to one side." You don't look like a monster."

"I'll tell you a secret, Hanna. The really bad monsters never look like monsters."

Now the little girl's lip trembled." Did you come to eat me? Da says the monsters eat children who don't go to bed when they're told."

"They do. But I won't. Not tonight. If you do two things for me." His voice was calm, almost hypnotic. It had the coarse rasp of an over-rosined bow. "First, you must crawl into bed. And second, you must never tell anyone you've seen us, especially your da." He leaned forward and gave Hanna's braid a playful tug. "Because if you do, I'll slit your mother's throat and then your father's, and then I'll cut out the heaerts of all these sweet slobbering hounds. I shall save Duke Silverhaunch for last so that you will know it's all your fault." The little girl's face was as white as the lace on the neck of her nightgown, her eyes wide and bright as new moons. "Do you understand?" She nodded frantically, chin wobbling. "Now, now, no tears. Monsters see tears and it only whets their appetite. Off to bed with you, and take that useless Maestro Spots along too."

She skittered backward over the landing and up the stairs. When she was halfway up, she cast a terrified glance back at Kaz. He raised a gloved finger to his lips.

When she was gone, Wylan slipped out from behind the door and followed Kaz down the steps. "How could you say something like that to her? She's just a child."

"We were all just children once."

"But—"

"It was that or snap her neck and make it look like she fell down the stairs, Wylan. I think I showed remarkable restraint. Move."

(MY GIRL REALLY NAMED A DOG MAESTRO SPOTS. SHE GETTING REAL CREATIVE. also the reason why i like this scene is because of his interactions with hanna. and then he promptly runs into the dude of the house he just broke into and dusts it off like nothing ever happened LMAO)

"Then your choices are Novyi Zem and the Southern Colonies, but the Kerch presence int he colonies is far lower. Also, the weather is better, if you're partial to that kind of thing. You are a stolen painting, Kuwei. Too recognizable to sell on the open market, too valuable to leave lying around. You are worthless to me."

"I'm not translating that," Nina snapped.

"Then translate this: My sole concern is keeping you away from Jan Van Eck, and if you want me to start exploring more definite options, a bullet is a lot cheaper than putting you on a ship to the Southern Colonies."

Nina did translate, thought haltingly.

Kuwei responded in Shu. She hesitated. "He says you're cruel."

"I'm pragmatic. If I were cruel, I'd give him a eulogy instead of a conversation. So, Kuwei, you'll go to the Southern Colonies, and when the heat has died down, you can find your way to Ravka or Matthias' grandmother's house for all I care.

"Leave my grandmother out of this," Matthias said.

(i'm saving that quote from kaz, oml i love him too much....this blog is going to turn into my random fandom base of posts of wednesday, harry potter, shadow and bone and all my other obsessions.)

[betelgeusing]

I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who finds themselves in the position of reading Cr*oked K*ngdom for some reason like me so I’m putting this under a cut but

KAZ BREKKER TELLING THIS 5 YR OLD THAT HE'S THE MONSTER UNDER HER BED AND THAT HE'LL KILL HER PARENTS AND DOGS IF SHE TELLS ANYONE SHE SAW HIM

[stromuprisahat]

Over Kaz’s shoulder, Wylan saw a little girl standing on the landing, leaning on the neck of one of the massive gray dogs. She had to be about five, her toes barely visible beneath the hem of her flannel nightgown.  “Oh Ghezen,” Wylan whispered.  Kaz stepped out into the hall, pulling the door nearly shut behind him. Wylan hesitated in the darkened office, unsure of what he should do, terrified of what Kaz might do.  The girl looked up at Kaz with big eyes, then removed her thumb from her mouth. “Do you work for my da?”  “No.”  ... Wylan shuddered. Through the crack in the door, he saw Kaz squat down so he could look the little girl in the eye. “What’s this big fellow’s name?” Kaz said, laying a hand on the dog’s wrinkled neck.  “This is Maestro Spots.”  “Is that so?”  “He has a very fine howl. Da lets me name all the puppies.”  “Is Maestro Spots your favorite?” asked Kaz.  She appeared to think, then shook her head. “I like Duke Addam Von Silverhaunch best, then Fuzzmuzzle, then Maestro Spots.”  “That’s good to know, Hanna.”  Her mouth opened into a little O. “How do you know my name?”  “I know all children’s names.”  “You do?”  “Oh, yes. Albert who lives next door and Gertrude on Ammberstraat. I live under their beds and in the backs of the closets.”  “I knew it,” the girl breathed, fear and triumph in her voice. “Mama said there was nothing there, but I knew it.” She cocked her head to one side. “You don’t look like a monster.”  “I’ll tell you a secret, Hanna. The really bad monsters never look like monsters.”  Now the little girl’s lip trembled. “Did you come to eat me? Da says monsters eat children who don’t go to bed when they’re told.”  “They do. But I won’t. Not tonight. If you do two things for me.” His voice was calm, almost hypnotic. It had the coarse rasp of an over-rosined bow. “First, you must crawl into bed. And second, you must never tell anyone you’ve seen us, especially your da.” He leaned forward and gave Hanna’s braid a playful tug. “Because if you do, I’ll slit your mother’s throat and then your father’s, and then I’ll cut out the hearts of all these sweet slobbering hounds. I shall save Duke Silverhaunch for last so that you will know it’s all your fault.” The little girl’s face was as white as the lace on the neck of her nightgown, her eyes wide and bright as new moons. “Do you understand?” She nodded frantically, chin wobbling. “Now, now, no tears. Monsters see tears and it only whets their appetites. Off to bed with you, and take that useless Maestro Spots along too.”  She skittered backward over the landing and up the stairs. When she was halfway up, she cast a terrified glance back at Kaz. He raised one gloved finger to his lips.

Crooked Kingdom (Leigh Bardugo)

[ace-in-a-shopping-cart]

The Girl and the Dog

Crooked Kingdom Chapter 2, starting on page 28

Word Count: 811 CW: Threats, threats to children, threats to animals

Kaz carefully opened Smeet’s office door and looked out, stopping before going any further. Wylan, just behind him, also stopped in his tracks. A small child, no more than five years old, was standing on the landing and leaning on the neck of one of the large gray dogs.

“Oh, Ghezen,” Wylan breathed out behind Kaz.

Kaz stepped out, pulling the door almost completely shut behind him. The child looked up at him with her large eyes before pulling her thumb from her mouth. “Do you work for my da?” Her voice was small and high, cementing her age in Kaz’s mind as a very small child.

“No.” His voice wasn’t crude or gruff but it wasn’t kind either, simply existing. Squatting down despite his protesting leg, Kaz got to the girl’s height and eye level. “What’s this big fellow’s name?” He rested a hand on the dog’s wrinkled neck.

“This is Maestro Spots.”

“Is that so?”

“He has a very fine howl. Da lets me name all the puppies.”

“Is Maestro Spots your favorite?” Kaz didn’t like threatening or harming children, only doing it when strictly necessary. It put a bad taste in his mouth to be so cruel to someone smaller than he had been when he’d first arrived and he pushed off doing serious harm to small children for as long as possible.

The child thought for a moment, her face screwing up in a manner that said she was thinking quite hard about that particular subject, and shook her head. “I like Duke Addam Von Silverhaunch best, then Fuzzmuzzle, then Maestro Spots.”

“That’s good to know, Hanna.” He’d try to threaten her first before going to violence.

Her mouth opened in surprise. “How do you know my name?”

“I know all children’s names.” It was something Inej delivered to him, when a merch had a child and what their name was. It was also quite common knowledge what children belonged to which families.

“You do?”

“Oh, yes. Albert who lives next door and Gertrude on Ammberstraat. I live under their beds and in the backs of the closets.”

“I knew it,” Hanna whispered, her voice a mix of fear and triumph. “Mama said there was nothing there, but I knew it.” She tilted her head, looking him over. “You don’t look like a monster.”

“I’ll tell you a secret, Hanna. The really bad monsters never look like monsters.” They look like father figures, offering to give you and your brother a chance at a new life and a fortune. They look like smiling old men who pretend to be your boss but never lift a finger in business matters. They look like smiling boys who carry spiked chains and prefer to corner smaller children in alleys for quick money.

Now her lower lip trembled, tears welling in her eyes. “Did you come to eat me? Da says monsters eat children who don’t go to bed when they’re told.”

Kaz’s eyes glinted as he latched onto that bit of leverage he could use. “They do. But I won’t. Not tonight. If you do two things for me.” His voice was calm, almost soothing in it’s own raspy way. “First, you must crawl into bed. And second, you must never tell anyone you’ve seen us, especially your da.” He leaned forward carefully and tugged lightly on Hanna’s braid. “Because if you do, I’ll slit your mother’s throat and then your father’s, and then I’ll cut out the hearts of all these sweet slobbering hounds. I shall save Duke Silverhaunch for last so that you will know it’s all your fault.”

Her face had slowly drained of color as he spoke and now looked as pale as the lace on her nightgown. Kaz fixed her with a serious and deadly stare. “Do you understand?” She nodded as hard as she could, chin wobbling and tears threatening to fall. “Now, now, no tears. Monsters see tears and it only whets their appetites. Off to bed with you, and take that useless Maestro Spots along too.”

Hanna scrambled backwards across the landing and up the stairs, only stopping when she was halfway up to stare back at Kaz. He raised a gloved finger to his lips in response.

When she’d made her way fully up the stairs, Wylan stepped out of the office and followed Kaz down the stairs. “How could you say something like that to her? She’s just a child.”

“We were all just children once.”

“But--”

“It was that or snap her neck and make it look like she fell down the stairs, Wylan. I think I showed remarkable restraint. Move.” The child didn’t deserve to have her life cut short simply for a few documents. Kaz would have preferred to have not interacted with her at all but scarring her for life was better than ending her life.

[manikas-whims]

I love how we all collectively love murderous Kaz. That scene is so iconic.

When he starts sweetly, then tells her how he'll slit throats and kill all these slobbering hounds and save her favourite one for last.

And the: "Now now, no tears. Monsters see tears and it only whets their appetite."

And when he sends her off, he brings a lone gloved finger to his mouth to shush her. The aesthetic!

Y'ALL if I don't see the scene where Kaz tells that little girl the story about monsters and threatenes to kill her parents and her dogs, I AM SUING

[strangenoquestion]

Now the little girl’s lip trembled. ‘Did you come to eat me? Da said monsters eat children who don’t go to bed when they’re told.’ ‘They do. But I won’t. Not tonight. If you do two things for me.’ His voice was calm, almost hypnotic. It had the coarse rasp of an over-rosined bow. ‘First, you must crawl into bed. And second, you must never tell anyone you’ve seen us, especially your Da.’ He leaned forward and gave Hanna’s braid a playful tug. ‘Because if you do, I’ll slit your mother’s throat and then your father’s, and then I’ll cut out the hearts of all these sweet-slobbering hounds. I shall save Duke Silverhauch for last so that you will know it’s all your fault.’ The little girl’s face was as white as the lace on the neck of her nightgown, her eyes wide and bright as new moons. ‘Do you understand?’ She nodded frantically, chin wobbling. ‘Now, now, no tears. Monsters see tears and it only whets their appetites. Off to be with you, and take that useless Maestro Spots along too.’ She skittered backward over the landing and up the stairs. When she was halfway up, she cast a terrified glance back at Kaz. He raise one gloved finger to his lips. When she was gone, Wylan slipped out from behind the door and followed Kaz down the steps. ‘How could you say something like that to her? She’s just a child.’ ‘We were all children once.’ ‘But—’ ‘It was that or snap her neck and make it look like she fell down the stairs, Wylan. I think I showed remarkable restraint.’

Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom