#Suli acrobat and spy:

[stromuprisahat]

Six of Crows- Chapter 21 (Leigh Bardugo)

*laughs in KoS*

No, I'm not letting this one go.

[whosthatfunkyrat]

The fact that throughout Inej’s life a large part of her value and innate being was based on her body tears me to shreds every time I think about it.

She was first an acrobat, and she loved it. she loved her life. she loved what she did. She loved that she could use her body to reach for the heavens and look for her wings.

Then she was taken, and her body became someone else’s. She became an item someone owned, and her body was what kept her in her prison. She taught herself to view herself as two people, the girl who did those things with strangers and the girl who escaped her body when she had to.

Then when she was saved from that life, she still wasn’t really free. Her indenture still needed to be paid off, and she used her body to do the tasks The Dregs needed from her, saying that the FIRST time Kaz told her she didn’t Have to take a job was The Ice Court. She followed every command. She became a spy, a killer, a Wraith. She became something she never wanted to be, and she repented for it. Her body became someone else’s in a different kind of way. Kaz gave her the abilities to defend herself and fight, which freed her from her previous imprisonment, but she was STILL owned by Par Haskel.

And when she thinks that Van Eck will break her legs, she starts to wonder if she’s valued outside of what her body can do. She wonders if Kaz cares about her even if she’s not his Wraith. She’s his “investment”, his spider. And she thinks he can get a new one.

And when she screams “He won’t trade if you break me” it makes me want to DIE because she didn’t even know what she was gonna scream until it came out. She didn’t even know it until she put it into words.

He won’t trade if you break me.

And when he tells her he’d come for her even if she was broken, it means so much because it means he values her for who she is, rather than the tasks she can preform. And while that’s sorta obvious I think it’s easy to glaze over how touching that would be for her. Dirty Hands would have cut his loses and moved on. It was entirely illogical to value someone for anything other than what they can provide. But he does, despite his reputation for being one of the most cruel people in The Barrel. Because he’s not just Dirty Hands and she’s not just The Wraith. He loves her for HER. Not for her body and what it can do, or what it can provide him. But her WHOLE life that’s been her whole thing! Her body, what it can do, her skills, her talents. All the praise anyones given her was based on THAT. And not to mention how he already teases her Suli proverbs and religious beliefs, anyone would believe he’d leave her.

But even if he had to crawl to get to her, even if he had to tend to her broken body, he would.

She’s SO much more than The Wraith. She’s so much more than her relationship with Kaz. He see’s that- why doesn’t everyone???

SHE WAS INEJ GHAFA, AND HER FUTURE WAS WAITING ABOVE.

God I love these books😭.

[green-typewriterz]

Please.

Kaz Brekker x gn!reader

Summary: Kaz struggles with affection and touch, but he has to do something to stop you from going on a heist that could possibly kill you. 

ASK: N/A

Warnings: Kaz being Kaz, maybe slightly ooc Kaz as its my first time writing, injury, talks of death, slight ptsd

word count: 1171

Kaz sat in his office with the door closed, not a single sound escaping from under the crack. It was something you and the Crows were used to but it didn’t stop you from wondering if he was ok. While you and Jesper worked the bar - chatting happily with the pigeons that you liked to call your regulars, Wylan and Nina sat in the corner of the room, drawing out plans, Matthias had just gone outside to follow after someone who hadn’t paid and Inej was probably somewhere near - you just couldn’t see her.

The next heist was days away and both yours and Inej’s talents with staying quiet would come in handy. Though you weren’t a master spy like your Suli friend, nor could you fight in the same acrobatic way as she, you were nimble and silent, an intimidating quiet in a room full of leaders. That and you were amazing with knives. However, there was one flaw in every plan the group came up with, one that could prove to be life or death for you and Inej. The guards were never off duty and they always had guns. You’d have to fight to get past them.

It eventually got to two in the morning and the Crow Club was finally closing, yet there hadn’t even been the sound of Kaz’s uneven footsteps creaking across the floor. You sat on the other side of the bar as Jesper cleaned glasses, annoyed look in his eyes.

Eventually he turned to you. “I could use some help, you know?” Jesper spoke in mock annoyance, but any joking emotions on his face dropped when he saw the worry in your eyes. “Look, y/n, if you’re that worried about him, then go up there. Bring him tea or something.” You met his eyes and sighed, nodded slowly as you headed to the kitchens to make him a drink and some sort of food.

You headed up to his office with a hot cup of tea and a few pastries you had found in the pantry. You gently pushed open the door and the slithers of light from the hallway seeped into the room. Kaz sat at his desk, face lit only by a singular lamp that cast sickly shadows on his sharpened features. He looked tired. He glanced up as you stepped further inside, a tired frown on his features.

“Y/n, I’m busy,” he muttered quietly, head falling gently over his eyes. His attention returned to the plans in front of him. You placed down the plate and mug on the table and smiled softly.

He looked at the plate in confusion as you spoke, “I brought you some food, and a drink.” He didn’t respond so you sat down in the chair opposite him. “You’ve been here for hours, Kaz. You need to take a break.”

He put a gloved hand against his temple and sighed, “There’s no time for breaks. Every detail needs to be perfect, this has to go smoothly for us.”

You nodded in understanding, this was a difficult thing for any person, let alone a group of teenagers. “I know, Kaz. we’re all working hard.” Kaz finally looked up at you for more than three seconds and his eyes narrowed into an unreadable expression.

“You and Inej are crucial to this plan, it wouldn’t be possible without you. But-” He cut himself off, breath catching in his throat. His next words were a whisper, “But I don’t want you to go.” Your brows furrowed in confusion, why was he changing his mind now, so soon before the heist?

You sat for a while, not knowing what to say, eventually, you assumed it was him not wanting to lose his two best ‘spies’ in one go. “Kaz, we’ve done this hundreds of times, Inej and I are fully prepared for whatever happens. You don’t have to worry.”

He stood up abruptly, his chair scraping across the floor, scratching over the previous marks in the wood. His eyes seemed to hold a fervour to them you had never seen before. “It’s more than just the heist, Y/N. This job is dangerous. I can’t afford to lose anyone. I can’t afford to lose…you.”

You blinked a few times in confusion, not understanding where his sincerity had come from. He breathed out slowly and, almost as if it were against his human nature to do so, gingerly stepped forward, his eyes glued to your hands. “You’re important to me, Y/N.” His gaze flitted up to meet yours and his brows furrowed in what looked like pain as he stepped closer still. “Promise me you’ll get out if things get too dangerous.”

A sigh escaped your lips and you shook your head, “I’m not a child, Kaz. I’ve gone through worse, multiple times. You can’t expect me to stop now because you suddenly gained the ability to feel empathy.” You whispered. You hadn’t meant it to sound harsh, but the words sliced through him and his gaze lowered. Turning to the door, you began to walk away, aiming to get a semblance of a good night's sleep before the manic day of final planning began tomorrow.

Despite this aim, you only got part way toward the door when you felt cool leather grip your wrist. You gasped at the sensation and turned to see Kaz holding you in place. He breathed out shakily and his eyes closed for a moment, almost as if he were trying to calm himself. You gave him time. “Please.”

It was one word, barely a whisper above the sounds of Ketterdam from Kaz’s open window, yet it felt like a stone wall he had spent years building with his own scarred hands had come crumbling down. Heavy rocks he had cemented together with avoidance and fear fell onto his feet, pushing themselves against his chest and Jordie’s pained body lay on the other side. He withered there for a moment, trying to calm himself. He could feel the warmth of your hands through his gloves - the sensation blurring the memories of the cold bodies beneath him. He breathed in once more, eyes still shut.

“Please.”

You found yourself unable to breathe, not knowing how to deal with his vulnerability, it wasn’t something the Crows were known for. “Kaz…” You trailed off, moving closer and readjusting to hold his hand in both of yours. You worked slowly, trying to keep the both of you as calm as possible. His hand shook under yours and you released slightly, the ghost of your hand still gently touching his. “I can’t leave Inej to go alone.”

He met your eyes and nodded. He knew it would be how you'd reply. You were too good to all the people around him, too good for him. Eventually, Kaz pulled his hand away, the feeling of another person that close to him becoming too much. “I’m sorry.” He whispered, “I shouldn’t have asked that of you.”

He let you leave.

[therooftopsofketterdam]

While Inej would muffle her movements and was able to be as silent as still, winter snow, she had no intention of hiding her presence from Nina. Tiredness settled in her bones and made her feel heavier then she actually was. Pain made it hard to focus on any part of her body besides that and while gravity had not forsaken her yet it might soon come to it. She needed to get this wound taken care off.

Nina was the obvious choice, the only choice really. Inej would trust her with my life and still, an incling of fear made her pull her tunic close.

"The Barrel never sleeps and Kaz had a job that needed to get done." It wasn't an entire lie. Inej had spent countless nights in the shadows, spying, curating knowledge and stealing secrets, sometimes even stealing actual things, but she didn't want Nina to worry about anymore things then whatever caused her to seek out the kitchen and prepare food.

The acrobat stood at the heart renders shoulder, quietly watching the repetitive movement and familiar thunk of filled dough being tossed into an oiled and floured bowl. Inej wondered if her mother still made Plemeni. For her father and cousins and uncle and aunt. She'd always made them for special occasions as they were harder to prepare on the road... Inej's stomach grumbled in a demand for nutrients.

"People say Kaz is ruthless but I feel like they ignore your talent for bribery." She sighed, but smiled, there was no arguing with her friend. She pulled back the folds of her tunic and revealed her undershirt that had spots of crimson blooming upon it. She was bleeding through her bandage below. A few suli words left her lips. A curse to whatever force drove that mishap.

"Rotty and I got jumped a few days ago. Black tips. They thought they had taken some cuts from fifth harbour territory for themselves. They are dead now. One got me."

In the early hours of the morning, Inej left her little kingdom above the roofs of the Barrel. She should sleep, she knew. She should eat or rest or do anything else then think about Tante Heleen, but she couldn't help herself.

As she rose, a sharp pain shocked through the upper left side of her torso, where her ribs ended and abdomen began. A stray knife had cut straight through her tunic and undershirt, knicking skin and drawing blood. She patched it up, but apparently her latest job for Kaz Brekker caused the wound to tear open again. "Saints..." Inej hisses as it hurt more then the days before combined.

She carefully lowered herself down the wall, her fingers finding familiar nooks and crannies to hold on to blind and in the dark. Still. Her body was working harder then usual to make up with strength for what Inej usually did with smart maneuvering. The jabs of pain dulled her other senses... And she was endlessly tired. Before she could slip, the acrobat slit open a window and let herself in. Quiet feet soundlessly touching the crooked floorboards. What she hadn't expected was to find her friend here.

"Isn't it a little early for stress baking?" She asked, curiously but a little breathless, as Nina continued with her work. Inej knew these little dumplings. They were a Ravkan specialty. The last time she'd seen any of these was at a harvest festival in Os Kervo. Before she got captured and sold.

"I didn't know you knew how to make those." Inej said, her voice softer now as she stepped closer towards her friend.

[mindofasupernova]

The Inventor Part 2

Kaz Brekker x reader

Description: A killer is on the loose, eliminating Kaz's informants. In a desperate attempt, Kaz meets a certain inventor that has his mind racing, trying to figure out the complex puzzle she is.

Hope you like it, let me know what you think.

Kaz

A corpse? That's what she wanted? Did she think that he just kept all the bodies of his deceased workers in his room? How the hell was he supposed to get his hands on the corpse of one of his poisoned informants?

One day after meeting the young inventor, Kaz had sent Inej to gather answers to the Y/LN Manor. And just as promised, the girl had already identified most of the compounds, but due to "careless and messy manipulation", clearly referring to Kaz's pouch, she had been unable to determine a specific substance that acted as a catalyst. Inej returned to the Slat with Y/N's message asking for a meeting and a request Kaz wasn't exactly expecting.

According to Y/N, it was of the utmost importance for her to examine the body if she hoped to pinpoint the missing compound not to mention it provided a perfect opportunity for Kaz to tell her about how the poison had captured his attention.

Inej had returned later than usual, smiling and carrying a small brown bag that wafted a sweet and delicious scent. When Kaz had raised his eyebrows in question, Inej had told him Y/N had given her some recently baked cookies. He grunted in response and kept working, but his mind kept drifting back to the cookie bag and what that small act meant.

Inej was cautious but he also knew that she always searched for kindness in people. That snack could have been simply just a gift but Kaz wouldn't have made it this far if he considered all people as kind-hearted. Y/N was a stranger, a rich stranger from the highest of ranks of society who probably didn't care if Barrel rats like him lived or not. Y/N hadn't asked for a favor nor did she need money, she just wanted to know, that unsettled Kaz more than he liked to admit.

He had spent the day gathering information about her, her personal life, hobbies, and all the rumors he could find. He had found absolutely nothing that could give him an insight into the girl's intentions, he had finished empty-handed with the information he already knew: she was the only daughter of one of the richest men in Ketterdam, the perfect personification of a wealthy royal daughter, an innocent and pious little thing that went to Church with her family. Kaz scoffed at that, the defying look she gave her at their secret rendezvous accompanied with her enthusiasm for carving a corpse open proved she was far from innocent.

No, until he had more facts he wouldn't let his guard down. And yet, a small part of him yearned for her actions to be good-intentioned. Stop, hope is a dangerous thing. He had already made the mistake of hoping when he was nine and look where it got him.

Kaz returned his gaze to the papers in front of him, huffing in annoyance, he started writing down orders to get a corpse for Y/N.

_______________

Y/N : One day after the meeting

Y/N was quietly sitting at her vanity, a soft smile adorned her face, gaze completely lost on her new device when Inej, soundlessly crept inside her bedroom.

After Kaz Brekker had left the shop near the Church of Barter, she no longer felt the giddy spark she had when she left her manor. She couldn't blame Mr. Zhang for telling Mr. Brekker about their association, he was an old jumpy man who wished no trouble upon no one. She had left all the concoctions that Mr. Zhang had order, but she didn't show him her latest joy, she no longer felt as excited.

This new invention she had come up with consisted of a music box. But it was no ordinary music box, far from it. Y/N had noticed how most of the music boxes got damaged with time when the metal rusted and the music no longer sounded like a melody but more like a haunted house. So, instead of depending on metal to play music, why not use water vapor. Yes, she had spent four days perfecting the pressure at which each piston released the water so it was a perfect copy of one of the melodies in the Komedie Brute. Four days making sure that the amount of heat the flame distributed was enough to transform the water into vapor but not so fast it was gone before the song ended. And now, here it was, a vapor-based music box with a decorative firebird in the center that literally caught fire, warming the water below.

Mind too caught up on the mechanics of her own work, that, when the Wraith materialized from the shadows behind her, Y/N sent a rain of screws and nuts toppling down the floor when Inej's hand landed on her shoulder.

Wide-eyed, Y/N turned around to face the apparition in her room. The Suli girl raised her hands, to show she intended no harm and in a kind voice spoke:

"I'm not here to hurt you. Kaz Brekker sent me to check up on your progress."

With a sigh of relief, Y/N straightened relaxed her posture. "Why, of course, should have assumed Mr. Brekker would send someone. Please, take a seat. " with a small smile, she gestured to a plush burgundy armchair.

"As promised, I have successfully identified most of the compounds. However, I fear identifying the catalyst agent won't be possible unless I conduct a thorough autopsy on the unfortunate victim. The needle I was given was in an atrocious condition, too many foreign compounds had already interacted with it." Y/N answered, finishing with a hopeful tone.

Inej nodded her head and responded, "I'll let Kaz know, thank you Marchioness Y/LN." Inej turned around, making a bee-line for the window.

"You must not be thinking of going out in this beastly weather. Please, stay until this horrendous downpour ceases." Y/N quickly called back, wrapping her silk shawl around her petite frame, as if the thought of stepping outside was enough to send a chill running down her spine.

Inej hesitated, directing a fleeting glance at the crying sky outside, she resumed to her previous seat.

"Would you like a piece of Cinamon-coated Pavlova? I guarantee you won't regret it, the caramelized peaches are sinfully appetizing!" and before the Suli girl could respond, Y/N was rushing out of her room, the dainty patter of her heels clicking down the stairs.

Her room was exactly what Inej had expected: luxurious and overly grand. But there was something about it that Inej couldn't quite place, her room was tidy to the extreme, all the expensive perfume bottles lined up, gaps between that appeared as if they had been measured with a ruler. Nothing in her room showed a preference or indication of what she truly liked, at first sight, the room would have seemed like the perfect fairytale but now, upon close observation, the room looked generic, hollow, and cold. The spy wondered if all the riches were worth living into a life as impersonal as hers.

Y/N returned, carrying a tray full of fancy desserts Inej couldn't even pronounce.

"The baker proclaims himself a master of crème brûlées. I prefer his fruit-stuffed truffles, though. Mouthwatering" Y/N commented, gingerly placing the tray on her small mahogany table.

Y/N waited for Inej to take a bite out of the coffee tiramisu, after the Suli girl let a soft hum of appreciation, Y/N smiled and questioned: "I hope I'm not being too invasive, but how did you manage to climb all the way to my window? There are no nooks where you could have possibly held onto, you must have an incredible balance to perform such a feat."

And that's how Inej told her about her life as an acrobat, proudly sharing brief glimpses to her past, seeing no harm in the girl next to her. Y/N was more than happy when Inej started talking, she was glad the bronzed-skinned girl didn't treat her with timid whispers afraid of offending her royal title. It felt nice to have a normal conversation, being able to share honest opinions instead fake smiles and condescending words at galas, afraid that if the wrong statement slipped they'll become the next party gossip.

____________________

The morning after, Inej returned bearing Mr. Brekker's message agreeing to a nightly meeting where she'll be able to examine the corpse.

Saying that Y/N was thrilled, was an understatement, apart from a chance to put her brain to good use, it gave her the perfect opportunity to try a device she had specifically designed for creating an alibi while she was sneaking outside at unlikely hours.

Y/N hated piano. Don't get her wrong, it wasn't the instrument, it was the music, her music. Because for an unknown reason, her fingers seemed to have a mind of their own whenever she tried to. She admired the focus and dedication of musicians, she really did, but her mind easily got distracted thinking about her latest reading material instead of focusing on the notes. So, she had created a system capable of pushing the tiles as if her own fingers played the music. She knew it was wrong to fool her parents in such a way but it gave her a perfect cover to go in secret missions her parents would never approve of.

Proper ladies don't get excited over knowledge, much less probe in repulsive matters such as corpses. Look at you, Y/N, what would future suitors think if they discover you all cheerful over someone´s murder? The scandal! Zia Francesca's reprimanding voice resonated inside Y/N´s head. But she could care less about what the whole Ketterdam thought about her, science was her passion, and she would abandon it until the day she died.

Already outside, a navy blue scarf wrapped around her head to shield her delicate features against unwanted attention, Y/N waited for Inej at their chosen meeting point.

The sly girl slipped into view, with a grace greater than the one of a feline, leaving the shadows as if she and the night were one. With a brief nod, Y/N followed the girl into the awaiting hands of darkness. Leading her towards the Barrel, a place where monsters lurked behind every corner impatiently waiting to pounce any minute. Nonetheless, Y/N felt ecstatic, warm excitement pulsing through her veins, a river waiting in anticipation to break the thin modest facade she kept up to let her curiosity resurface in search of enigmas to solve.

When they arrived at a place named "The Crow Club", Inej went to get Kaz and some "others" and told her to wait. Y/N observed the lively atmosphere, seeing customers from different countries around the world when her eyes landed on a familiar head with wild red curls.

"Mr. Van Eck?" Y/N questioned in disbelief, the boy perked up at the sound of his last name, locking eyes with the hooded girl.

Never would she have imagined finding Wylan Van Eck down in the Barrel. She was shocked, Wylan supposedly should be in a music school outside of Ketterdam. Both belonging to affluent families, Y/N had met Wylan Van Eck at several parties. She hadn't gotten to know him very well, but she liked the quiet boy who shared the same look of misfortune Y/N had every time they were thrown into a classy social event. When his father had announced he was leaving to study abroad, Y/N was happy for him although she would miss being silently miserable together. But it appeared Wylan had been doing something far from studying, now sitting next to a tall Zemeni boy with his arm slung around his shoulder.

"Marchioness Y/N, I never imagined...W-What brings you here?" replied round-eyed Wylan, confusion, and astonishment written all over his features.

But before Y/N could respond, steps and the tapping of a cane interrupted their little meeting, Inej small silhouette trailing behind Mr. Brekker.

"So, you know Wylan?" he interrogated in that characteristic rasp, coffee eyes scrutinizing Y/N's form.

"Yes, Mr. Van Eck used to come to our social gatherings."

Wylan just nodded shyly while his long-limbed companion kept drowning shot like they were water.

Dirtyhands humphed in acknowledgment "Nice, know that we are all together let's go to...Jesper, I don't pay you to drink the bar dry. Get your ass down here and let's get moving so our dear inventor can examine the body, shall we?

"Wait, she is the contact you talked about?" the Zemeni, Jesper, questioned. Eyes going from Kaz Brekker to Y/N, as if this was some kind of joke.

"Wylan called her Marchioness? You asked for a royal's help?" Jesper asked, an incredulous mocking smile on his face. "Who are you and what have you done with Kaz?"

Mr. Brekker scowled at him and without another word turned around not even waiting for them to follow.

"Well, nice to meet you, my lady. The name's Jesper Fahey," he said, bowing down and kissing her hand, sending her a mischievous wink.

"Very nice to make your acquaintance, Mr. Fahey. And please, there's no need for formalities, just call me Y/N." she comforted, as they finally reached the others. Glancing at the rest while finishing her last statement, prompting the rest to call her by her first name.

________

Kaz

Y/N radiated waves of elation, her whole face lighting up at the thought of an adventure, a star amid the tumultuous dark waters of Ketterdam helping him find his way to the shore.

Kaz wore an amused expression at Y/N's amused gaze roaming the dirty streets of the Barrel, a new unknown world full of carnage and sins. She isn't fit for the Barrel thought Kaz, her eyes dancing in amusement at every little detail that caught her interest despite her efforts to put on a serious face and regal posture. She probably saw wonderous adventures while Kaz saw the Barrel for what it really was: a ravenous, savage beast waiting to swallow the weakest whole and drain the lives of the ones who survived its ghastly bites. And somehow the concept that she didn't belong in this world, his world, made Kaz's heart wrenched a little.

During their walk, Kaz shared the details about the latest killer on the loose and his dead informants, all the while, Y/N remained quiet, evaluating every one of his words.

When they arrived at an abandoned building, a single man was stationed outside, leaning on the tainted wall with a tired look in his eyes. Kaz nodded at the guard who gave him a set of keys and trotted out of sight. Kaz guided them inside, careful no prying eyes had followed them. Kaz turned on the lights, briefly disconcerting his companions, and pointed to a table with a big bulk covered by a dirty cloth.

"As you requested, the unfortunate victim" announced Kaz as Y/N placed a small suitcase she'd brought with her forensic equipment and tenderly pried the cloth covering the thing that once had been alive.

Y/N didn't bat an eyelash when she saw the corpse's face, not even when Jesper started gagging or when Inej turned around and started quietly mumbling prayers to her saints. Kaz focused on her face, the calm inquisitive look of a scientist, he had expected a gasp at least. Kaz was impressed by her cool analytical demeanor when a simple glimpse of the man was enough to send Kaz back to the ocean, rotting flesh beneath his fingertips. Kaz shuddered at the thought, forcing down the vomit rising in his throat.

"If you need an assistant, Jesper is willing to help" Kaz stated, stabilizing his voice so it wouldn't show his true feelings.

"What?! Me? Umm..no...I...Helping isn't a Jesper talent." Mr. Fahey said, a fearful look in his eyes, face white as a sheet. Kaz hoped he didn't look as terrified as him.

Y/N stopped her scan, looked up at the two boys, and with a small smile spoke: "I appreciate it, but there's no need. I'm certain I can handle it on my own."

Quickly discarding her coat and scarf, pushing back the sleeves of her rouge-colored blouse, and pulling long laboratory gloves over her hands along with a white apron over her head, she set up to work.

Kaz stared at her features, as she transformed into an eager forensic, light illuminating her face, falling in the right places giving her an otherwordly glow. Rebellious strands of hair framing her forehead, a pink hue staining her cheeks indicating her joyous state. The sight before him would have put any masterpiece to shame, Kaz wondered how she could stare at a corpse and find glee in such a morbid image. But Kaz liked it, the brilliant gleam her eyes portrayed, her childish joy at the promise of adventure.

The spell was broken when she started pulling out scalpels, syringes, and other items Dirtyhands couldn't bother to learn the name of. Pulling the flesh taught beneath her fingers, Y/N made a Y incision, skin splaying open.

Cold lifeless hands gripped Kaz's throat. his brother's icy whispers brushing his skin. He turned his head away and as if perceiving his discomfort, Y/N's bewitching doe eyes stared back at him.

"You can wait outside if you prefer to, I'll notify you when I'm done." her gentle voice reached and Kaz couldn't have been more grateful.

With a sharp shake of his head, Kaz limped towards the exit, Jesper, and Inej quickly following his movements.

--------

After Y/N finished, she eagerly started explaining her findings, a prideful gleam emanating from her.

"Well, Mr. Brekker I must admit this case is a peculiar one. The simplest ones always prove to be the most challenging."

"Here I thought that after years of fancy tea reunions you'd know the meaning of a vast number of words. I'll be sure to buy you a thesaurus." mocked Kaz, a wolfish smirk creeping onto his face.

The inventor frowned at his comment, racing her chin higher, and started her rant, thoughts racing to prove her point.

"Oh no, Mr. Brekker do not confuse simple and easy. Simple is straightforward, plain facts to the observer. Ordinary details are hard to pinpoint, effortlessly found everywhere, which makes it harder to find unique characteristics that could serve as means of identification since their nature is so elementary." Y/N spoke swiftly, pacing around the room, eyes never faltering from Kaz's.

"And that's exactly what happened in this case. As I had mentioned, my extraction wasn't entirely successful, for an essential reactant was missing. However, it wasn't the only reason why I insisted on examining the body, no, a very simple and ordinary substance appeared when I separated the poison: Helianthus annuus or more commonly known as sunflowers." Y/N paused glancing at their surprised faces, clearly pleased with their reactions, she continued, the corners of her lips tugging upwards.

"You can imagine my surprise when I found sunflower pollen as the main component of the poisonous agent. I ran several more tests and the result remains the same, our killer is using these lovely flowers as a weapon. Now, back to the catalyst, the easy part of the equation. This component isn't as fastidious as the previous one, why, you may ask. Well, its vast majority consists of average materials but a small percentage of it contains alloys that are only produced in Ketterdam, that combined with the peculiar way they were fused, suggests a Grisha alkemi made this solution." Y/N concluded, grabbing a piece of paper and hastily writing before she handed it to Kaz.

"There are no signs of struggle, meaning either they knew the attacker or they were taken by surprise. A swift prick to the femoral artery, a clear pathway for the poison to reach the bloodstream, infecting the body within seconds."

"It shouldn't be very hard to find the alkemi. They aren't very popular and most of them are indentured. Here is the list of all the reactants, the specifics, and where I believe you might find them. " finished the girl, looking at the trio expectantly.

"If you don't mind, I have taken a sample to examine more carefully at my house. I'll try to find any details I might have overlooked."

Briskly reading the list, Kaz frowned and then pocketed the small scrap of paper. "First thing tomorrow morning, ask around for an alkemi who might have bought these materials. "

Kaz turned to look at his fellow crows, content with their nods of approval, grabbed his cane, and sauntered towards the door. Her chemistry knowledge was astounding, a marvelous domain of anatomy, and an even more gifted engineer from what he had heard. Hers was an indeed beautiful mind, not that he would ever tell her.

"Mr. Brekker?" her light voice shattered through the gloomy night. Kaz craned his neck, gaping back at her in question.

"Is there perhaps a place where I might be able to tidy myself up?" Y/N questioned, Kaz finally looking at her messy red-stained apron and her exposed arms displaying strokes of red all over them.

Kaz hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should bring the girl back to their home. "You can use the restroom back at the Slat." The girl had risked her reputation sneaking out on ill-advised affairs to help them, it was the least he could do.

"Thank you" Y/N replied as she carefully peeled her apron, attentive at not brushing her arms against her blouse.

___________

Once she had freshened up, Y/N stumbled upon the young Van Eck talking with a couple. The green-eyed girl was about Y/N's age, a generously carved complexion, holding the hand of a tall Fjerdan.

Y/N inclined her head as a form of salute, "I never pegged you for the rebellious type, Mr. Van Eck. I never thought you hated music lessons that much to run away." she told him in a joking tone.

"And I never thought you were the type to sneak out at ungodly hours just to play detective. " Wylan replied, a grin beginning to form on his face.

"Well, I suppose everyone has secrets."

"You must be Y/N, Inej told me you were the help Kaz so desperetly needed. I'm Nina, he's Matthias and well you already know Wylan."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Inej had briefly mentioned them, she knew now that Nina loved food, maybe next time she'll bring those exquisite truffles she had so eagerly talked about. If there is a next time Y/N reminded herself, she desperately hoped so, but now that her work was done she wasn't so sure Kaz Brekker would ever seek her again.

"Well, you have saved me the introductions." Kaz sarcastically glowered at the green-eyed girl, Nina kept talking as if she hadn't heard him.

It was one thing for Kaz to admire her intelligence, it did not mean he trusted her, though. Pieces were still missing to the intricate puzzle she was and until that changed Kaz did not like the way she rapidly befriended his crows, her intentions were still blurry to Kaz, and even though he would never admit it he cared deeply about their well-being.

"You should stay a little longer, we could go for waffles as a way of thank you." prompted Nina.

"Your offer is very tempting, but I'm afraid I'll have to pass. I should be returning home." Y/N declined, grinning at Nina, blissful someone had invited her for waffles.

Kaz stared at her and wondered how many times someone had done something similar, not to thank her but rather to use her, so that such a simple gesture put her in a joyful state.

"Scared of what your parents may do if they found out the truth?" Kaz quipped once his crows had left the two of them alone. A teasing tone masking true concern.

"Terrified. Someone may notice I've been playing the same four songs for the last couple of hours, always missing the same notes every time and they might get ideas of checking up on me," she confessed, mischief coating her features.

"Good night, Mr. Brekker. I'm happy I could be of assistance. Please, let me know if you find your killer or if my experience is needed again."

Kaz just bowed, signaling for his Wraith to get Y/N back to her manor in one piece.

Both girls disappeared into the night, leaving Kaz pondering what the hell she had meant with playing the piano.

___________

Y/N

Almost two weeks had passed, no signs of Kaz and no visits from the Wraith, well not that she was aware of. Y/N caught herself glaring at no point in particular, she readjusted her expression and plastered a well-practiced look of keen interest, trying to focus on Lady Stathos' rant about the attractiveness of the Viscount of Chagny.

Y/N politely excused herself, with no intention of making a fool of herself if Lady Stathos posed a question related to her gossip.

Too busy drowning in her own sorrow, knowing that Kaz had probably captured the culprit and was happily celebrating his success and no longer needing Y/N's help, that she stumbled forward, barely catching herself when someone bumped her from behind.

When Y/N turned back around, searching for that someone, she was met with a sight she had only seen once in an abandoned warehouse late at night. One that made her mind scream: Helianthus annuus.

Mercher Dupont's eyes were deranged, veins gruesomely popping and blood spilling from his lips, before toppling in the middle of the dance floor, taking his final breath.

[thefudge]

you are the most galaxy brain of them all omg. I can't believe with one single post, you and that anon have won me over to darkling/inej (darknej? darkej?). oh nO

Ahahahaha that anon rly came through, uniting us in our #darkej thirst!

But like, the more I think about it, the more I wanna write a oneshot where aleksander notices her acrobatics at the winter fete, and they lock eyes for a second while she's suspended midair and he thinks about how her movements are full of this controlled precision and how her eyes survey him coolly as if he were the one on display and I'm already @__@ anyway, him noticing her there is why he then recognizes her when she is in her officer gear behind alina...and like, imagine a cat and mouse chase during the ball where he's trying to figure out who this girl is, because she's very good at folding back into the shadows and, after all, that's his terrain. But also he suspects she's some kind of spy trying to get close to alina so he follows her all night, all the while trying to keep an eye on alina, and I picture inej changing outfits again and disguising herself as one of the maids, but he tracks her down this corridor and she pretends not to understand why he's after her. she play the role of the maid and even speaks in Suli to him but twist, he understands and responds in Suli too, and they have this showdown where he's like whoever is paying you, I can double it, and she's like haha no and he's like ofc, I could always make you work for me, or kill you as you stand, but inej uses his own shadows to disappear in them and he is PISSED but also intrigued and anyway she does manage to get away from him (I have a scene with her knives in my mind) and by the time she joins the gang they're already rushing to leave cuz fake alina is dead and real alina is in their trunk and I picture inej being rly shaken but trying to keep her cool, and as she sits on top of the carriage she looks back at the palace one last time and thinks she sees a shadow at the window. Then we zoom down to one of her knives and second plot twist, the darkling left a little piece of darkness attached to it, to track her, and she has no idea as the gang drives away and anyway YES I ALREADY HAVE A 3K FIC IN MY HEAD

[wraithqveen-archive]

I mentioned here inej’s first language is suli, that she’s fluent in ravkan as well, and that she learned kerch only upon being brought to ketterdam. when it comes to reading and writing in kerch, she didn’t even begun learning until she was out of the menagerie, as her conversation with kaz about the contract makes clear

“This is why you bought me?” 

The humor vanished from his face. “Per Haskell didn’t buy you. He paid off your indenture. That means you owe him money. A lot of it. But it’s a real contract. Here,” he said, removing Heleen’s document from his coat. “I want you to see something.” 

“I don’t read Kerch.”

“It doesn’t matter. See these numbers? This is the price Heleen claims you borrowed from her for transport from Ravka. This is the money you’ve earned in her employ. And this is what you still owe her.” 

“But … but that’s not possible. It’s more now than when I got here.” 

“That’s right. She charged you for room, board, grooming.” 

“She bought me,” Inej said, her anger rising despite herself. “I couldn’t even read what I was signing.”

given her job as a spy, she had to learn it to do her job well. it’s one of the many things she would have had to learn after leaving the menagerie, because although she already had useful skills she picked up training to be an acrobat her whole life, it’s explicitly stated other things, from stealing to using a knife, she had to learn from kaz (and practice, of course)

Kaz had taught her to crack a safe, pick a pocket, wield a knife.

not knowing written kerch was something that kept her captive as much as not being able to wield a knife to defend herself. as he shows her in the contract, slavery isn’t legal in kerch, so what heleen does is keep girls trapped in debt most of them (if not all) likely can’t even understand because the menagerie specifically buys girls from other countries. not knowing what is happening is despairing, and it’s one more tactic of control employed by heleen. she made girls rely on her because she left them no other choice. learning the language and learning to read it is also an important part of everything inej learned after being free from her, and it’s one more important thing in regaining agency. her fighting skills are definitely important, but communication and knowledge also matter a lot.

[wraithqveenarchived]

I mentioned here inej’s first language is suli, that she’s fluent in ravkan as well, and that she learned kerch only upon being brought to ketterdam. when it comes to reading and writing in kerch, she didn’t even begun learning until she was out of the menagerie, as her conversation with kaz about the contract makes clear

“This is why you bought me?”

The humor vanished from his face. “Per Haskell didn’t buy you. He paid off your indenture. That means you owe him money. A lot of it. But it’s a real contract. Here,” he said, removing Heleen’s document from his coat. “I want you to see something.”

“I don’t read Kerch.”

“It doesn’t matter. See these numbers? This is the price Heleen claims you borrowed from her for transport from Ravka. This is the money you’ve earned in her employ. And this is what you still owe her.”

“But … but that’s not possible. It’s more now than when I got here.”

“That’s right. She charged you for room, board, grooming.”

“She bought me,” Inej said, her anger rising despite herself. “I couldn’t even read what I was signing.”

given her job as a spy, she had to learn it to do her job well. it’s one of the many things she would have had to learn after leaving the menagerie, because although she already had useful skills she picked up training to be an acrobat her whole life, it’s explicitly stated other things, from stealing to using a knife, she had to learn from kaz (and practice, of course)

Kaz had taught her to crack a safe, pick a pocket, wield a knife.

not knowing written kerch was something that kept her captive as much as not being able to wield a knife to defend herself. as he shows her in the contract, slavery isn’t legal in kerch, so what heleen does is keep girls trapped in debt most of them (if not all) likely can’t even understand because the menagerie specifically buys girls from other countries. not knowing what is happening is despairing, and it’s one more tactic of control employed by heleen. she made girls rely on her because she left them no other choice. learning the language and learning to read it is also an important part of everything inej learned after being free from her, and it’s one more important thing in regaining agency. her fighting skills are definitely important, but communication and knowledge also matter a lot.

[codenamed-queenie]

ohhhh i just blew my own mind. consider this: six of crows batfam au. not sure how it'd work but they're fully qualified and the banter would be insane.

You just blew my mind too, anon! 😲

This is a really great idea, and I think we need to get fic writers and artists on this ASAP! I swear not all my headcanons are gonna be this long, but here’s just my take on what this would look like:

Barbara Gordon: She and her father traveled to Gotham to make their fortune after Barbara’s mother passed away, and the family farm went under. A mob boss calling himself the Joker spotted a pair of easy marks and moved in. Barbara’s father was killed, and Barbara herself took a bullet to the leg. She walks with a permanent limp now, and relies on a weighted cane topped with a pair of bat wings.

Vowing revenge on the Joker, Barbara joined a Gotham City gang called the Signals (Bat signal? Eh? Eh? Yeah, I feel like I should come up with a better name…)  and quickly rose through the ranks. She always keeps her face hidden behind a masquerade mask, just in case Joker or any of his people might recognize her (he’d know her face, but not her name), and the act itself becomes a local legend. People can’t decide why she hides her face, and it only adds to her mystique. Especially once she starts going by the moniker ‘Oracle’. As in, ‘All-seeing’. Once she was powerful enough amongst Gotham’s criminal community, she formed her own inner circle within the Signals starting with a sharpshooting street kid she recruited and a Suli acrobat she rescued from a brothel.

Jason Todd: A stray kid from the streets of Gotham. He knows his way around a gun, and has a mind almost as sharp as his wit. After falling into heavy debt with Joker’s gang, he resorted to thievery, and even tried to steal Barbara’s cane to earn the money he needed. He almost got away with it too, but Barbara caught him in the act, and offered him a job. Work for her, and the Signals would have his back. Turn down the generous offer, and she’d kill him. Jason, surprisingly, agreed.

Dick Grayson: Grew up in a family of Suli acrobats, performing all over the world. One day, he and his little sister Cassandra were kidnapped from their family’s tent, and sold into slavery in Gotham, far away from their home. Dick went to a brothel, and Cassandra was sold elsewhere. One day, he ran into Barbara on one of her trips to collect protection money from the brothel’s owner, Tony Zucco, and impressed her with his stealth and ability to read people. (Much like Inej’s backstory in SOC) Barbara bought Dick from Zucco, and recruited him into the Signals, giving him the choice to join or walk away freely (deciding that the man had suffered enough.) Dick decided to join up, on the condition that Barbara help him find his little sister. Barbara agreed, and took him on as her right hand man and personal spy. On the streets, he’s known as the Nightwing, a name that earns almost as much fear and respect as ‘Barbara Gordon–the All-seeing Oracle’. Dick has since fallen head-over-heels for her, but Barbara’s only loves are money and revenge. (Or, at least, that’s what she tells herself…)

The trio received a tip on a job from Councilman Dent. A dangerous endeavor involving a highly-addictive drug that can supposedly grant humans ‘meta powers’ like the Grisha, and rescuing the only man who knows how to make it from the clutches of the Al Ghul clan. The man’s name? Bruce Wayne. The score? Thirty Million Dollars. The stakes are high; no one has ever crossed the Al Ghuls and survived. But if they do nothing, the metagene drug will be released on the world–and worst of all, they won’t get paid.

But first, they need to put together a good crew. Barbara’s first choice is

Stephanie Brown: A bright and bubbly Grisha Heartrender (The SOC equivalent of a metahuman with the ability to manipulate the human body at a molecular level) with an enormous love for waffles. (I thought Steph and Nina were way to similar to overlook!) She works for the Signals as a healer and assassin, but relies on the gang for protection. Currently, she’s on the run from the Al Ghuls–vicious Grisha killers who believe that Grisha power needs to be controlled or else wiped off the face of the earth. She had a run-in with one of them, but managed to escape…landing squarely in the Signals’ cross-hairs. Barbara has been hiding her, and the two share a strained relationship. Stephanie only agrees to help on one condition: her friend/partner, Duke Thomas, gets safe passage away from Gotham.

Duke Thomas: Duke wasn’t sure how he ended up in this situation. One moment, he’s living a quiet, normal life, and the next thing he knows, the mob leader Joker is extorting his family for everything they own. After the mobster kills his parents, Duke is left adrift on the streets of Gotham, never a safe place to be when you’re a lone Grisha. He was found and picked up by Stephanie Brown, and together, they do odd jobs for the Signals in exchange for shelter from the other gangs. All he wants is to get out of Gotham, but he’s willing to see one more job through if it means finally escaping this cursed city.

With the two Grisha on board, Barbara, Dick and Jason have one more potential recruit to pick up:

Timothy Drake: As the Signals’ best demolitions expert and chemist, Tim makes a valuable asset. But as the estranged ward of Councilman Dent, he makes even more valuable collateral. After running away from his legal guardian, Tim tried to make it on his own in the streets and alleyways of Gotham. He lasted about a day and a half, before he was cornered by a pack of thugs working for the Joker. Lucky for him, Jason and Dick were both in the neighborhood, and managed to fend off the attackers. They took the younger boy under their wings (after voting on whether or not to take him for everything he owned. Dick voted ‘no’. Jason voted ‘maybe’.) Barbara recognized him immediately, and decided to keep him around. Only so she’d have something on Dent. Not because she developed a soft spot for the wide-eyed little society brat. No. Not at all…

The last member of the crew arrives a bit later, but he proves to be every bit as valuable:

Damian Al Ghul: The heir to the Al Ghul clan, Damian was cast out of the family for showing mercy to a Grisha he’d been hunting in Gotham. Thanks to his quick thinking, Stephanie was able to get away. But when she turned him over to the police, he was unceremoniously thrown in prison. His family stripped him of his assassin rank, and essentially disowned him. But no walls could hold the pint-sized Al Ghul for long, and he escaped with a bitter mission to take revenge on the blonde Grisha. However, he seriously underestimated the people backing her up, and was beaten quickly. Barbara recognized a valuable asset when she saw one–an ‘in’ with the Al Ghuls, if you will–and offered him a deal. Run this one job against his family, and he’d have his pardon and safe passage to anywhere his heart desired.

But unbeknownst to the Signals, they aren’t the only gang after Mr. Wayne and the valuable information he holds. The Black Sirens, the Rogues and the Owl Court are all gunning for the same prize. Plus one more mysterious player…

Just kidding. It’s:

Cassandra Cain-Grayson: Raised in a Suli acrobat troupe, she and her brother Dick were kidnapped and separated. Cassandra was sold to the notorious Al Ghul family, and forced to begin training as one of their assassins. She has been tasked with protecting Bruce Wayne and his secrets with her life. If she can manage to destroy the thieves who are out to steal him, the head of the family, Ra’s Al Ghul, will grant her her freedom. And at last she will be able to seek out her brother and reunite them with their parents…

Aaaand, there you have it! I totally agree with you, anon, that the banter would be absolutely golden. You’d have gems straight out of the book, like:

Barbara: “Stephanie, love, always hit where the mark isn’t looking.”

Tim: “Who’s mark?”

-

Duke: “You have no finesse! No technique!”

Jason: “Sure I do. I practice the art of ‘pull his shirt over his head and punch till you see blood’.”

-

Steph [smirking]: “I can hear the change in Barbara’s breathing whenever she looks at you.”

Dick: “You…you can?”

Steph: “Mm-hmm. It catches every time, like she’s never seen you before.”

-

Jason: “ Usually people don’t start hating each other until a week into the job, but you two have a head start.”

[Steph and Damian glare at each other]

-

Duke: “She’s going to get us all killed!”

Dick: “Nah. Statistically, she’ll only get some of us killed.”

-

Barbara: “Who’d deny a poor cripple her cane?”

Damian: “If the cripple is you, then any man with sense.”

-

Steph: “ If any of you survive, make sure I have an open casket. The world deserves a few more moments with this face.”

-

Jason: “If the Joker kills us all, I’m going to get Tim’s ghost to teach my ghost how to play the flute just so that I can annoy the hell out of your ghost.”

Barbara: “ I’ll just hire Damian’s ghost to kick your ghost’s ass.”

Damian: “ My ghost won’t associate with your ghost.”

Honestly, this was too fun. Maybe I should write a fic on this??? 🤔

Btw, if any of you haven’t read the book yet, definitely give it a try! You won’t regret it!

[elliepassmore]

Six of Crows Review

5/5 stars Recommended for people who like: fantasy, multiple POVs, heist stories, morally grey characters, diversity

Bardugo's writing has definitely improved between writing the Grisha Trilogy  and this duology. There's more diversity of character, better plot continuity, and the stakes feel higher. Not to mention, the world building re: Kerch and Fjerda is amazing.

The novel starts being narrated by a young member of the city guard, and it's here we're introduced to the thing driving the plot: jurda parem. Parem can make Grisha--magic-users, for those who didn't read the Grisha trilogy first (you don't need to and I don't recommend it)--do fantastic, impossible things. Of course, this means the government wants Parem to be kept under wraps. Enter the Dregs, a street gang led by Kaz Brekker, the antihero (antivillian?) with a bum leg and a knack for getting out of tight spots. The Dregs are hired to break into the most secure place in the world, the Fjerdan Ice Court, and kidnap the scientist who invented Parem, bring him back to Ketterdam, and hand him over to the Council to keep him hidden. It's a fascinating set-up. A street-gang performing a high risk heist to kidnap a scientist? Sign me up. But beyond that, the plot opens up so many of the doors Bardugo utilizes for character-arcs and world-building.

Kaz Brekker is not a hero and he's definitely not the sort of person you'd want to run into...probably ever. In the slums of Ketterdam, referred to in the novel as the 'Barrel,' he's known as Dirtyhands. He's a master lock pick and practically leads the Dregs. Due to an accident a few years before the novel starts, he also walks with a cane and a perpetual limp. He's questionably moral, with the question more being 'does he have any?' more than 'you need to reevaluate that particular moral gap.' That's not to say he's necessarily a bad guy--albeit most of what he does is for money and revenge, but--he is one of the protagonists of the story, and he clearly cares for the members of his gang, even if he 1) doesn't show it, and 2) gets frustrated with them a lot. In the beginning of the story he definitely comes across as more uncaring than toward the end, and we sort of get to know why as the book progresses.

Inej Ghafa is a spy for the Dregs, contracted to them after Kaz got her out of a rough situation in one of the pleasure houses, which left some obvious trauma--this all occurs before the novel begins. She's one of the characters with the most straight morals. She's an ex-Suli acrobat who grew up in Ravka before she was kidnapped and brought to Ketterdam, and she uses those skills to scale walls, run across rooftops, and do otherwise gravity-defying tasks for the Dregs. Inej might be my favorite character of the bunch. She doesn't want to kill people, but she's unafraid to when it comes down to it, and has a collection of knives she named after Suli Saints. Her character growth in this book goes from 'not sure what I'll do with my life after this heist' (which will give each member $4 million) to following a Suli proverb "the heart is an arrow. It demands aim to land true" (311) and deciding she wants to hunt slavers.

Jesper Fahey is a Zemeni sharpshooter for the Dregs and a notorious gambler more adept at losing than winning. As good as he is with guns, he gets the group into a bit of trouble with the latter bit. Jesper always feels the need to move and the feeling he gets shooting or gambling helps fulfill that need. Despite the trouble, Jesper also saves the group several times using his sharpshooting skills. He's also hilarious and has a pretty big heart, he worries and asks after each of the characters, and I really like his relationships with the others. Bardugo definitely wrote him caring about others well, showing that sometimes there are fault lines in that, such as how he cares so much about Kaz and what he thinks that it sometimes impacts how he feels about himself or when he's so worried about *SEMI-SPOILER* Inej *SEMI-SPOILER END* after they're shot he can barely stand to be in the same room until they're recovered almost completely. There's a secret Jesper is holding onto that largely drives his arc in this book. Admittedly, his arc is more static than the others in this book, it mainly sets up for the complete arc in the second one.

Nina Zenik is a Heartrender Grisha from Ravka who made some bad decisions that landed her working for the Dregs in Ketterdam. She's the most bubbly of the group and loves to eat. A lot of her actions are driven by either trying to right her wrongs or trying to protect her country and people; so she's not exactly moral but she's definitely righteous. She's also a really funny character and the only one who really continuously, blatantly challenges Kaz throughout the novel, though the other characters do so in more subtle ways. I feel that a lot of the success of the heist ties into Nina and her abilities. For one, she has to be able to use her abilities to break in/out of a prison, make Matthias look like someone else, to erase the identifying gang tattoos some of the group has, subdue prison guards, subdue regular guards, basically take out an entire army, and *SPOILER* disguise Wylan *SPOILER END*. She does most of it without complaint, though that's not to say she's a pushover, she's definitely strong willed and opinionated, which, as stated earlier, means she's not worried about challenging the different characters' opinions and actions. A lot of her arc also occurs in the second novel and not so much this one.

Wylan Van Eck is their Ketterdam-born demolitions expert and bargaining chip. He's also decent with drawing and coming up with ideas on the sly. Wylan is definitely the baby of the group in terms of experience, but he makes up for it in his quick-thinking and seeming infinite supply of explosive materials. Surprisingly, despite his lack of a criminal upbringing and being the newest to the group, he doesn't really have many qualms about a lot of what occurs, though when he does he raises a bit of a ruckus about it. That seems to be his main arc in this book, and it's relatively easy to track; in the beginning, he has quite a few issues with pick-pocketing, but later on he's the one to suggest to Jesper to wake up guards before they kill them if it'll make the other boy feel better about it. It's not so much a devolution of morals as much as a rearranging of morals, so to say.

Finally, Matthias Helvar the Fjerdan ex-drüskelle (Grisha hunter) and the crew's way to know Ice Court. Matthias maybe has the most character growth out of all of them. He goes from essentially being a ranked murderer to someone who understands Grisha aren't evil and that the hate spouted by the drüskellen order is wrong. He's another character who has a strong moral compass, though his comes off as more righteous and 'look down my nose' than Inej's does. He comes off as cruel in the beginning, but almost immediately it's obvious he has a heart and a conscience under the drüskellen mask--at least for anyone not Grisha.

The relationships between the characters are all complicated, which makes them feel real. The way they bump and sharpen each other's edges and then soothing them back down makes them feel very much like a family, even though some of them--Wylan and Matthias--are newer members. Each of the characters also has their own intricacies and tics. Each of them also offers great representation for readers--Jesper is black and has ADHD and is bi, Inej is portrayed as looking Arabic or Persian and has PTSD, Nina is fat and also likely bi, Wylan has dyslexia and gay, Kaz walks with a permanent limp and is touch-averse (likely has PTSD too), Matthias has to fight against the hate that was taught to him, and the semi-surprise character who comes in later is portrayed as being East Asian, likely Chinese or Korean--and it's all written as being normal.

Bardugo also did a good job of building Ketterdam and Fjerda as a world I could see and rules I could understand. The way the Barrel was described allowed me to really be in the moment with the characters when they were at the docks or the Slat (Dreg HQ), that I could feel the chill of the ice in Fjerda or the fear of being in the Ice Court prison. You can also tell, from the way Bardugo built the places and the languages, that she paid a lot of attention to history and real countries and languages when creating the world of SoC. Kerch, the language, is loosely based on an older form of Dutch, and Ketterdam is based on pre-/ante-Industrial Revolution trading cities of the Netherlands. Fjerda is likely based on the Nordic countries, though I couldn't begin to say which language Fjerdan resembles, maybe a mix of them. Anyway, the point is that the world feels real, as if you could really crack open a textbook and read about Kerch or Fjerda alongside countries like France and Germany.

The characters were obviously a driving point of the story, but that's not to say there isn't plenty of action, because there is. Likewise, the plot is well thought out and has plenty of twists and turns to keep readers interested and guessing, though you might guess some of the things that occur beforehand.

[fireheartblackthorn]

Kaz: if only I could summon a ghost

Kaz: a ghost that’s really sneaky, to spy on people for me

Kaz : a ghost that has brown skin

Kaz: and is small enough to come to eye level with me when they sit on a bathroom counter

Kaz: a ghost that used to be an acrobat

Kaz: preferably Suli

Kaz: actually, preferably-

Nina: you mean Inej? You want Inej now?

Kaz:

Kaz: hoW DARE U INSINUATE SUcH a BlaTen-

[kayleed77]

This is a little Kanej fic for y’all. Please feel free to give me feedback :)

Pairing: Kaz Brekker x Inej Ghafa

Series: Six of Crows

Inej Ghafa is her own person now. A captain of the rough seas, a notorious spy, a trapped Suli lynx, a promising young acrobat and docile daughter are all personas of her past. Though she will always trust that her Saints allowed her to be those people so she could learn from her experiences, she is happy in her newest life.

Or rather, they are happy.

In the many years following the Ice Court heist, Inej had traveled the sea on the ship Kaz had bought her, returning captured slaves to their home and punishing the slavers as she deemed fit. Sometimes she had mercy, but other times, like when she found a mother and daughter starved to death and naked in the captain’s personal quarters, she let her Saints guide her blades until the decks of those ships were stained crimson.

The nearly 8 years she spent tracking down slavers and destroying their businesses took a heavy toll on her soul. Inej had been full of hope, believing the best in as many as she could, but after seeing girls who didn’t want to leave ships because they were afraid their now-dead captors would punish them, she had lost some part of her faith. Her Saints would always be her guides, but she questioned how they could put so many through such pain.

Regardless of her wavering hope, Inej had returned to Ketterdam as often as she could throughout the years to bring her friends some semblance of hope. Jesper and Wylan always welcomed her with open arms, allowing her to stay with them at the renamed Fahey-Hendricks Manor. There, she would tell them stories of her latest escapades and watch with an ache in her chest at the way they gazed at each other; full of love, trust, and openness.

For the first few years Inej had always stayed in one of their spare rooms, decked out with fluffy pillows and a maid always on hand to attend to her needs. Why would she have ever wanted to leave?

The answer came in the trusting, feather-light touches and heavy glances filled with unspoken words from the coldest, most heartless man in Kerch, that became more frequent every time Inej docked on Ketterdam’s cold harbours. To be closer to him, to break down their barriers and remove their carefully woven armour for each other. Those were the reasons she kept coming back, searching for the glint of a crow’s head cane on the docks that, as the months passed by, more often than not was covered by a set of folded, bare hands and slim pianist-like fingers.

Then, she was no longer at the mansion, she was at the Slat. But not in her old room, Kaz had made that a storage room after discovering how it provided access to Per Haskell’s, now his, office (Inej still suspects that he had known all along). No, she was in the room of the Bastard of the Barrel himself.

The first night was an accident on Inej’s behalf. She had fallen asleep in the chair at the opposite side of his desk, gazing at him as he studied plans and payments for the Dregs. When she woke up, with an awkward crick in her neck, she saw that his arms were crossed on his desk with his face buried into them. She remembers thinking that he guarded himself from the world, even in his sleep.

The next time was not like the first. After sharing a tender moment, which left him without gloves and Inej’s heart racing, he asked her to stay. Way back when he asked her this during the aftermath of the Ice Court heist, she had rejected him and rightfully prioritized herself. She had no qualms about her past choices, but this time she gratefully accepted the progress. Inej stayed, joining him fully-clothed on the bed.

For the next four years, every time she stopped in Ketterdam they made it an unspoken agreement to try to break down another barrier, peel away another piece of armour. But they were warriors, trained by the horrors of their pasts and the violence of their present. So their armour did not simply unbuckle and slip off the way it did for others, it was sewn into their skin and welded around their hearts and souls. Sometimes the stitches came loose and other times they got sewn back up even tighter, but they never stopped fighting for the other to break another bond, destroy another obstacle.

Now she is here, standing outside the Slat, not as Captain Ghafa or the Wraith or any other title that had been bestowed upon her since she had been taken from that little caravan, but as Inej. She finally knows who she is, and more importantly, what she wants.

With her goal in mind, Inej walks into the familiar, battered building that has become her home. On her way to the stairs she nods at some of the older Dregs, like Anica and Pim, and Kaz’s newest spider, a young, dark-skinned girl named Lucille. She receives raised cups and small waves in return. Inej thanks her Saints that the gang is still thriving, ignoring their wrongdoings for the fact that they are her family. Then, she begins her climb to the attic.

Her feet glance soundlessly across the rickety wood as she remembers Kaz’s fight for dominance that had occurred on these very stairs. It was just one of the many close calls they’d both had in their dangerous lives. Her left hand smooths over the wooden banister and she makes a mental note to slide down it later, for old time’s sake.

As she climbs up the flights of stairs, she passes many closed doors that used to hold some of her closest friends. Jesper’s old room still has some garish lime green paint left on it, though most had been chipped away by its new owner, and Roeder’s, one of her fellow spiders that had died on a job a few years after she left, doorknob still appeared to be slightly crooked. These people were and are her family, regardless of all they have done to get here or stay here and she would never forget them. Her impressive memory had done her well as the Wraith and as a captain, but she was most pleased with it in situations like this. The situations when she remembers that Nina’s favourite waffle topping is cinnamon, that Wylan has a secret tattoo on his foot, that Jesper is going to propose soon, and that Kaz has a ticklish spot by the small of his back.

She stops abruptly in front of a black door at the top of the steps. The paint job has no chips and the handle is polished to a shine higher than that of her knives. Her feet had carried her to this familiar spot on muscle memory while she reminisced about all the good in her life, but before she could enter she needed to focus the storm of emotions in her mind.

He won’t be expecting her, she didn’t send a letter ahead this time because she didn’t know what to say, but he will know it’s her as soon as she opens the door. That is one of the constants of their relationship; no matter how quiet she is, he always knows she is there. She doesn’t mind it, in fact she finds the idea of them being so familiar to each other a little romantic.

Inej tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear, trying to ease some of her nerves. She always knew it would come to this, but now that she is waiting here outside his door she almost can’t bring herself to open it. She sends a quick prayer to her Saints, tapping her correspondingly named knives as she mummers their names, asking for courage.

Saints, she’s being so dramatic. Standing in front of his door like some love struck teen was something Inej had never done, and wasn’t intending to make a habit of. Taking a deep breath, she finalizes what she wants to say in her head and reaches out to grab the knob.

Her shoulders go back and her chin tilts up slightly as she walks into the room. What she’s about to do almost feels like another performance.

“Hello, Kaz.”

Her deep brown eyes flit over the low ceilings and hardwood floors that are similar to the rest of the building, then settle on the oddities that distinguish the room as belonging to Kaz Brekker. A black leather armchair settled in the corner of the room farthest from the window; the desk Inej knows he refurbished himself after finding it by the edge of some rich mercher’s lawn and is covered in a mess of maps and papers; the door to her right that leads to his bedroom that only she has seen; and the aura of the man that faces her from his spot near the window ledge.

As her eyes glance over him, checking for any new injuries, his breath catches. The moonlight streaming through his window backlights him, the shadows obscuring most of his features and darkening the already sharp lines of his face and body.

He steps forward, into the candlelight coming from desk, and moves towards her. Inej watches the way he moves across the small room as quickly as his leg will let him go, and is happily surprised to spot no noticeable injuries or malcontent because of her surprise arrival.

Inej takes another two steps in his direction, then he stops right in front of her, staring down at her with his dark, mystery-filled eyes. His gaze flickers over her, checking for new scars or injuries as she did, but they focus in on the little slippers on her feet.

Since leaving to become The Notorious Captain Ghafa, she hadn’t worn the grippy, Fabricator-made slippers Kaz had gotten her for climbing, unless he specifically told her he needed her on a job. Inej smiles as she sees confusion in Kaz’s face, enjoying the way he squirms as he struggles to find his words.

Finally, looking directly into her eyes for the first time since she arrived, he speaks to her, “You’ve been planning jobs without me?” He nods at the shoes. “You know those are destined to fail.”

Inej laughs, carefree and happy, letting her head tilt back and eyes shut. She misses Kaz’s first full smile of the night and the slight lean of his posture towards her. The grin is gone by the time Inej opens her eyes, replaced with a slight, but still genuine, smirk.

“No, Kaz” She says with a more serious tone, “No more jobs, no more murders, no more tricks. I’ve spent so much time repenting my sins and this is the end of that journey for me. I believe there is another path that I need to take now, the only question is if you will take it with me.”

His smirk vanished when she began to speak, his face a mask of guarded emotions, but none too guarded for her.

[vlctorvale]

@sixofcrowsnet heist: tv tropes

↳ inej ghafa: the wraith to the bastard

inej ghafa is a suli acrobat, turned spy and assassin and is the second in command to the dregs. she has long black hair, wrapped in a tight coiled braid and is bronze skinned. inej can move around completely noiselessly, which got her the alias of 'wraith'. from nameless sex slave to pirate and vigilante, inej ghafa is a force to be reckoned with.

[wazafam]

Netflix's Shadow & Bone series, based on the bestselling books by Leigh Bardugo, has a rich mythology and vibrant characters; here it all is explained. The gritty, dark fantasy Netflix series was first announced in January 2019 with Eric Heisserer (Arrival) serving as showrunner, creator and executive producer, with Bardugo herself also serving as EP on the series, guaranteeing it will stay faithful to the spirit of the books.

Bardugo's series of novels has earned itself a large and faithful following thanks to their intricate world-building, an interesting system of magic, and unforgettable characters. The scope of the new upcoming Netflix TV show is ambitious; thus far Bardugo's "Grishaverse" consists of six books: the original trilogy, a mostly unrelated duology set in the same universe, and a direct sequel to the original trilogy meant to pick up where the events of it left off. Rather than adapt them all exactly in order or cut the duology out completely, the approach Heisserer is taking is to weave both stories and sets of characters together in an intertwining narrative.

Related: Everything We Know So Far About Netflix's Shadow & Bone

With the crossing A plot, B plot approach of both stories being adapted simultaneously, that means the series will introduce an awful lot of characters into a universe that's brand-new for many viewers. In order to prep for Shadow & Bone's anticipated release in April, here's a handy breakdown of the books and how the series differs from them, the characters, and the world of the Grishaverse.

The original Grishaverse trilogy consists of three books, Shadow and Bone, Storm and Siege, and Ruin and Rising. They tell the story of teenage orphan, Alina Starkov, who grows up in an orphanage in the kingdom of Ravka with her best friend and fellow orphan, Malyen Oretsev, or Mal. Both Alina and Mal are conscripted into the Ravkan army but Alina, who has never been good at anything, doesn't take to it the way Mal does.

They're sent on a mission to cross the Shadow Fold, otherwise known as the Unsea, an unnatural tear of absolute darkness full of monsters that has split the once-great kingdom of Ravka in two. During the dangerous crossing, their regiment is attacked by the monsters, called volcra, and Mal is brutally injured. In her fear and panic, Alina exhibits a rare and to-that-point dormant power that saves his life while changing hers forever, for it's revealed Alina's power may be the key to saving their war-ravaged nation.

Soon, Alina is whisked away to the capital Os Alta, to be trained as a Grisha, the magic users of the world. Her greatest champion, and source of confusion, is General Kirigan, a.k.a. the Darkling, the ultra-powerful leader of the Grisha and head of their magical armed forces. As Alina's power grows, she learns more about it – and that someone may be using her as a pawn for their own ends. Suddenly, Alina has to learn how to carry the burden of being the country's great hope while navigating the pitfalls of royal intrigue and betrayal, all the while fighting her attraction to her mentor, the Darkling, and worrying about Mal and how he fares on the front lines.

Related: How Shadow & Bone Is Avoiding The Witcher's Timeline Confusion

Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse is a rich tapestry of magical fantasy and gritty, realistic conflict. It's set in a fictional world that mirrors ours, with the various countries in the world being based on real-world countries and cultures. Ravka, where the majority of the action of Shadow & Bone takes place, is modeled after 18th-century Tsarist Russia, with its capital Os Alta, serving as a stand-in for Moscow. But other countries are visited in the book series, including Kerch and its capital, Ketterdam (the Netherlands and Amsterdam), Fjerda (Scandinavia), Shu Han (Mongolia & China), Novyi Zem (American & Australian colonies), and the Wandering Isles (Ireland).

When the story opens, Ravka has been embroiled in a long civil war after the rebellious Darkling's first attempts to depose Ravka's weak-willed king, Alexander III. As a result, the people of Ravka are no strangers to military service, but Ravka's has two separate militaries: those who practice the Small Science - what we'd call magic - known as the Grisha, and who serve in the Second Army, and the non-magical people (referred to as otkazat'sya by the Grisha) who serve in the First Army. The two Ravkan armies sit uneasy with each other, with the First Army fearing the Grisha's magical power and influence, and the Grisha often having a disdainful disregard for non-magical people, fueled in part by the fact magic users used to be persecuted. Understandably, the kingdom of Ravka is tired and impoverished due to its constant state of war with itself and hostile nations that would seek to take advantage of the inner turmoil, with the royal Lantsov family ruling over it all.

The Grisha are separated into three magical groups: Corporalki, Etherealki, and Materialki, each with their own subgroups and uniforms. Of the three, the Corporalki are the highest tier in the Second Army and the most feared magic users, as their magic is the kind that manipulates the body at the smallest molecular level, bringing either death (Heartrenders) or life (Healers). The Corporalki are identified by their crimson red kefta uniforms.

Etherealki are also powerful and an important part of the Second Army as they deal with the elements, manipulating air (Squallers), controlling and creating fire with a flint focus (Inferni), and those who can control water (Tidemakers). Squallers and Tidemakers are especially important to the Navy and a pair are found on every Ravkan ship, their blue keftas denoting them as Etherealki.

Related: Cursed Season 2 Theory: How Nimue Could Be Saved From Death

Lastly, the Materialki may not have skills that are as flashy as the first two branches, but without their magic, the Ravkan armies, and Ravka itself, would fall apart, for Materialkis, also known as Fabrikators, are able to manipulate inorganic material to create incredible weapons and inventions. The Durasts can manipulate any solid object, whether it be glass, metal, stone, wood, and more, while Alkemi deal in more alchemical matters, such as poisons and blasting powders. The Fabrikators are known by their purple kefta.

Then there are the extremely rare kind of Grisha known as Summoners. Though technically Etherealki, they get their own name as their powers are so unique among their kind. In the world of Shadow & Bone, only two known summoners exist: The Darkling, a.k.a. the Shadow Summoner, who can summon the dark, and Alina Starkov, a.k.a. the Sun Summoner, who can summon the light.

There are many characters across the six books published so far, and Netflix's Shadow & Bone series is using characters from both the original Grishaverse trilogy and the Six of Crows duology. Here are the main characters in the Netflix series.

The Darkling, a.k.a. General Kirigan - The Darkling (Ben Barnes) is the leader of the Grisha Second Army. He is mysterious and powerful, the only person on Earth known to be able to summon darkness. Thus, his abilities and the pressures of leading the army have isolated him from the rest of humanity and while he is not to be trusted, he's possibly to be pitied. When he meets Alina Starkov and realizes what she is, it creates an instant connection as he believes he's found someone who can finally understand him.

Related: Why Netflix's Shadow & Bone Is Hiding Ben Barnes Being The Darkling

Alina Starkov - The Sun Summoner, Alina (Jessie Mei Li) is a teenaged orphan who discovers she has a rare and world-changing power during a mission through the Shadow Fold. Suddenly, Alina's life is turned upside-down as she goes from a quiet life in a small village to the center of the capital city of Os Alta as the one who can perhaps destroy the Shadow Fold for good. Alina tries her best to live up to everyone's expectations, but the weight of it is lot to bear and it draws her closer to the Darkling in their shared loneliness.

Malyen "Mal" Oretsev - Mal (Archie Renaux) is Alina's best friend; they grew up together in the same orphanage. Mal gets drafted into the First Army where he proves himself to be an exceptionally gifted tracker and soldier. As their lives head in different directions after the revelation of Alina's powers, the distance and conflicting objectives put a strain on their friendship, even as their connection forged from childhood refuses to break.

Kaz "Dirtyhands" Brekker - Kaz Brekker (Freddy Carter) is the de facto leader of the Dregs, also known as the Crows, one of Ketterdam's street gangs, and one of the most ambitious thanks to Kaz being a criminal mastermind and bolder than the rest. Kaz is only a teenager, but his legend has grown in Ketterdam's back alleys and nighttime shadows. Kaz is known for being willing to do any job, no matter how violent or dangerous, without showing an ounce of fear, thus earning him the nickname Dirtyhands.

Inej "The Wraith" Ghafa - As Kaz Brekker's right-hand woman, Inej (Amita Suman) is as feared as Kaz himself. Of Suli background and raised as an acrobat, Inej uses her catlike reflexes and incredible grace to be the Dregs' spy. She can get into any room, scale any wall, infiltrate any building, thus earning the nickname The Wraith in Ketterdam's criminal circles. Despite this, Inej has a strong moral code, and though she always has at least half a dozen knives somewhere on her body, all named for a saint, there are some lines she won't cross, not even for Kaz.

Related: Cursed: The Original Lady Of The Lake Legend Explained

Jesper Fahey - The Dregs' sharpshooter, at first glance, Jesper (Kit Young) doesn't seem like someone you can trust in a fight: He's a gambler, cocky, and always quick with a joke no matter the situation. But Jesper is a cool head in a fight and has a near-perfect aim no matter what. Unknown to many, Jesper is also a Durast, but won't use his power thanks a childhood trauma. Due to his powers not being released, Jesper is often fidgety and impulsive, the excess magical energy making him constantly restless.

Nina Zenik - Nina (Danielle Galligan) is a Heartrender from Ravka who also works with the Dregs from time to time. She's beautiful and curvaceous, and her boisterous personality and forward manner belies a compassionate person. Nina is a big personality, who feels everything and loves fiercely, whether it's food, people, or laughter. Despite this, Nina is loyal to her country and often puts Ravka's needs above her own.

Matthias Helvar - Matthias (Calahan Skogman) is a Fjerdan Drüskelle soldier who captures Nina when she's on a mission. The Fjerdans are suspicious people with a hatred of witchcraft, immediately viewing all Grisha as devils to be destroyed. Matthias is uptight, bullheaded, and unfriendly, but there's also a softer, more open person struggling to break out from the years of brutal living that have made him so cold.

  The big difference between the books and the new Netflix series is that the series will be weaving together characters from both the original Grishaverse trilogy and the Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom duology at the same time. In order to keep the timeline intact, this means the storyline with the Dregs will be a prequel story to those familiar with the books, with the events involving the Dregs in the series happening before the events in the books. This leaves open the possibility that Six of Crows may be adapted in later seasons. Likewise, there are two major characters already confirmed to not be appearing in Shadow & Bone season 1: Nikolai Lantsov, the prince of Ravka, and Wylan Van Eck, a member of the Dregs. They'll likely appear in a second season provided Netflix orders one.

Shadow & Bone premieres on Netflix on Friday, April 23.

More: Every New Show Releasing On Netflix In 2021

  What Is Shadow & Bone? Books, Characters & Netflix Show Explained from https://ift.tt/308iHHv

[escape14worlds]

Comma, scroll, and title please!

Comma: Who is your favorite character... Ever??It's an absolute tie between Ronan Lynch (TRC) and Inej Ghafa (SOC). I love a lot lot /lot/ of other characters but those two hold my absolute heart- an angry gay streetracer-farmer who is also a hufflepuff (imo, you can pry that from my cold dead hands) with a beautiful supernatural gift, and a gorgeoys Suli acrobat who doubles as a spy with knives and a heart for all, even the most dangerous man in the city.Scroll- what is your favorite weather to read in?A nice cool morning, some clouds with fresh dew on the ground and long shadows, probably after a rainstorm the night before, with the sun waking up and so is the worldTitle- what character would be your bff?Hmmmm idk. Probably Nina. Hopefully Tessa Grey (Gray?)! I love sassy and strong female characters lmaoThank you Bec! Much much love

[kniiivesdrawn-archived]

D O S S I E R

Full name: Inej Ghafa Other names: The Wraith, Spider, Little Lynx Occupation: Spy (part-time thief/assassin depending on what Kaz needs) and Ship Captain Age: 16 Gender: Female Sexuality: Bisexual Origin: Suli Caravans on the Ravkan/Shu border Current location: On her ship hunting slavers/Ketterdam Nationality: Not sure cause we’re not sure where she’s born Ethnicity: Suli Spoken languages: Suli and Kerch  Religion: She believes in her Suli Saints Height: 5′2 Body type: Petite but girl’s got muscle  Eyes: Dark Brown Tattoos: One on her arm from the Menagerie Piercings: None Social Media: Verse Dependent   Smoking: No Drinking: On occasion, but she will not get drunk Athletics: Yes Hobbies: She has time for hobbies??? Thieving, acrobatics, gymnastics (modern), parkour, knife sharpening, also movie nights with friends Virgin: .................no (not by choice) Favorite drink: Coffee, but also likes tea Favorite food:  The Suli bread her mother used to make Favorite Music: Sea shanties (*side eyes Nina*) Clothing style: Her bf’s aesthetic aka all black because the Wraith and shadows and her bf is so extra and she has to match Underwear type: Nope sorry, Inej refuses to let me answer this one

TAGGED BY: @staarborn​

TAGGING: Lol, I know everyone in this fandom, so anyone else who wants to do it???