#barrel king and his wraith queen

[lunarthecorvus]

Kaz Brekker/Inej Ghafa Major Character Death fanfiction recommendations

part of Lunar's soc fanficiton rec series

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Slipping away by @ven-brekker

Wordcount: 1,689 Chapters: 1/1

Characters: Inej Ghafa, Kaz Brekker

Tags: Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Blood and Injury, Kanej - Freeform, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Pre-Canon, Touch-Averse Kaz Brekker, Whump, Major Character Injury

Author's summary/notes: “Keep talking, Wraith. Don’t slip away from me.” “But it’s what I do best.” - Six of Crows, Ch. 12 Inej waits for her Saints to finally have her. My summary/notes: Now this fic is the of major character death whump. There is no ambiguous ending its a death fic to its end. It cuts deep and would definitely fulfill the death fic mood. It HURTS and will make you bawl.

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for once, my teeth bleed for you by @pbandjeremiah

Wordcount: 1,903 Chapters: 1/1

Characters: Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa

Tags: this is upsetting, Major character death - Freeform, Post-Book 2: Crooked Kingdom, Mix of Show and Book Canon, Hurt No Comfort, kaz and inej loving and respecting each other SO DAMN MUCH, i'm sorry this is sad but like, married kanej, shadow summoner kaz, kaz is a grisha

Author's summary/notes: For once, Kaz Brekker didn't have a plan. For once, it was going to cost him all that he had. Kaz and Inej are put on trial for murder and crimes against Ghezen. Neither of them are going to survive this. My summary/notes: This was one of the first kanej death fics I read and I still adore it now. It really shows the lengths kanej will go to protect and respect each others wishes.

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our youth will take the blame by @pinspec

Wordcount: 3,612 Chapters: 1/1

Characters: Inej Ghafa, Kaz Brekker, Jesper Fahey, Wylan Van Eck

Tags: Post-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Denial, Canon-Typical Violence, Angst, Sad Ending, Protective Kaz Brekker, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, kaz is so in love with inej it actually hurts, neither of them can say 'i love you', please don't sue me

Author's summary/notes: A mission goes badly wrong, and amidst the carnage Kaz fails to save his Wraith. My summary/notes: This shit hurts. Just everything about this hurts. However in my opinion the ending provides a sense of comfort at least...

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she was supposed to come back by maryadmitrievnalikesundays

Wordcount: 2,840 Chapters: 1/1

Characters: Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa, Wylan Van Eck, Jesper Fahey

Tags: Character Death, Death, Grief/Mourning, Madness, Descent into Madness, Insanity, Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Ambiguous/Open Ending

Author's summary/notes: She was always supposed to return. That was the deal—eight months at sea, four by his side. Eight months of letters and news clippings with her name saved in the locked drawer in his desk. Eight months of yearning, working, killing, waiting for her to come back and give it all meaning. And then The Wraith would roll into port, and the Ketterdam clouds would break, and the King and Queen of the Barrel would walk back home together, hand in hand. But ten months have come and gone since her last departure. And the sky is thick and dense with clouds, and the only thing in his hand is a knife. —— Or, the one thing that could push the Bastard of the Barrel past his breaking point. My summary/notes: I'm not kidding you, the title is enough to make my heart hurt. Be warned that this as depictions of very bad mental health, in case of any triggers <3

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Who lives, who dies, who tells your story by leehab23

Wordcount: 4,717 Chapters: 1/1

Characters: Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa, Jesper Fahey, Wylan Van Eck, Nina Zenik, Matthias Helvar

Tags: Sad with a Happy Ending, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Character Death, Some mourners some funerals, I just really think this whole city would go to pieces without him, Some rule of wolves spoilers related to Nina, Book 2: Rule of Wolves Spoilers, Minor violence in the beginning, Minor obstruction of correspondence at the end, somewhat happy I promise, or at least I think so

Author's summary/notes: He continued on, speaking of Kaz’s good deeds, of the great man that lay in hiding behind the terrible one. Of Kaz’s legendary brains, unbelievable grit, and overwhelming impact on the city he called home. As he spoke, he noticed movement in the back of the crowd. Fighting? Fleeing? Wylan couldn’t tell. The ripples grew wider, men and women tripping over themselves to move away from the center of the street. Suddenly a path cleared, as though the crowd had been cleanly torn in half by the point of a sharp knife. “Inej,” Jesper breathed. OR: All of Ketterdam is left reeling in the wake of Kaz Brekker’s death. Despite his frequent objections to the concept, there are mourners and a funeral. My summary/notes: When reading kanej death fics I have noticed that there is less Kaz death fics compared to Inej death fics. So if you're in the mood for a Kaz death fic (I have been many times, don't ask me why but I find it so interesting reading Inej's reaction to Kaz dying). You will feel Inej's pain and it hurts so much. And this fic has Nina helping Nina through the pain and them bonding over dead partners..

[ragingstillness]

Shadow and Bone spoilers - random thoughts from my notes (e2)

I love that this stolen painting of the fold is now our indicator that they're in the crow club.

Why doesn't Kaz tell anyone anything?

Blowing up the crow club is a scorched earth drama queen move and I approve.

"The barrel doesn't belong to kings it belongs to bastards" - ICONIC SHOWSTOPPING WE LOVE LOVE LOVE TO SEE IT

Quoted directly from my notes here: "Give me Ben you fuckers"

Why is Alina trying to seduce the Darkling in the tether?

"You're already dead" oof the foreshadowing

So cute Genya is looking for David and the Darkling is promising he'll find him. It's yet more evidence of how much he cares for all Grisha. He's rescuing them. Now that I think of it, how did Genya end up in a cage anyway? Was she back at the Darkling's encampment in Kribirsk and not on the skiff?

More Genya/David I love this song.

"Fear in a smaller glass is instinct" I am finally actually engaged in the crows' storyline

Nina's love for waffles continues.

Ballsy of the writers to tell us that Helnik had sex off-screen and refuse to show it to us.

Quoted directly from my notes here: "why does Hellgate look like a pair of boobs"

If the Shark Tooth in the side of Tamar's head isn't considered unusual why did everyone act like the bonding of the stag collar was some horrific thing. Not related to this scene just a thought I had, do you need a Durast for every implantation of an amplifier?

Why aren't they showing us Alina dreaming of the sea whip and the firebird? Seems odd after showing her dreaming of the stag and a simple dream flashback wouldn't take much of the runtime.

"You think the three are connected" is it somehow not common knowledge that Ilya created all three? Duh they're connected.

It's sweet that the Darkling knows the names and stories of everyone he ever rescued, really shows he cared.

Genuinely quite surprised that even Inej doesn't know the history with Pekka because in season one she seemed to.

"You're not just sunshine sunshine" lol

I'm kind of in love with Fruzsi but why have we literally never seen her before and why is she filling the role of Ivan or Fedyor? Also, finally we get to see a tidemaker, we've seen almost every other iteration.

The map that Alina had seemed to show the seawhip being in the sea but suddenly it's on an island?

Killing the seawhip was ridiculously easy. Also, the stag wasn't inherently violent, even when its territory was invaded, why was the seawhip violent?

Is it just me or is Nina chubbier this season? Maybe it's just the multiple layers and cloaks and bustle. I can't help but think that they took into consideration the criticism that Nina wasn't "truly" plus-size and this is how they dealt with it.

Inej's leather pants are everything.

I've been told that in the books Jesper is deeply and unrequitedly in love with Kaz but ngl I'm glad they didn't lean in on it and just had Wylan make one suspicious comment.

"My wraith" death, death for Pekka Rollins for a thousand years.

This Morgens character came out of nowhere and the show's acting like we're supposed to know him. And why is he wearing the Daredevil suit and dressing like one of the twelve from Junni Taisen?

Jesper remembering Wylan while lying on top of him is peak disaster bisexual behavior and I approve.

When are they ever going to run out of animal metaphors for Inej and the Crows? It's just constant all season.

Jesper stopping while being strangled to give Wylan a thumbs up is yet more peak disaster bisexual behavior.

I can't help but notice that Aleksander is spending a ton of time in these first episodes perilously close to the fireplace. Is he experiencing some sort of eternal chill/wasting sickness thing like Baghra does?

TW: SELF HARM MENTION

Ok what was he going to do with that hot poker? Burn the hole in his hand a little deeper? Like there's just nothing given as a reason besides the plot insisting that we need to learn about the tether. (I can't help but think of this from a self-harm angle)

Jessie's got some dance moves. It gives me Benedict Cumberbatch learning to Pop-Lock for Dr. Strange vibes.

"My Alina" - cute in fic where they're in a relationship, creepy in all other contexts including this one.

[barrel-crow-n]

So. You're telling me. That Kaz rules the Barrel, has a man on the merchant council, one of his old gang members is the Queen of Fjerda, his Wraith rules the True Sea, and he is friends with the King of Ravka. He has his slender lock pick fingers everywhere.

I love that Nikolai & Kaz friendship is canon now and that Kaz is slowly corupting an actual king

[manikas-whims]

Post CK Kanej

Kaz Brekker and Inej Ghafa

King of the Barrel • Queen on the Seas

(click on image for better quality)

*Tag me if you write a fic inspired by this ♥

SoC Masterlist

[heliads]

Hoaxes and Hearts

Based on this request: “AU one-shot where Maze Runner characters are in Shadow & Bone. The pairing is Newt x female reader. Minho is Alina Starkov. Thomas is Mal Oretsev. Y/N L/N is Kaz Brekker. Teresa is Inej Ghafa. Newt is Jesper Fahey. He is Y/N’s boyfriend and a member of the Crows. Gally is the Darkling. Brenda is Genya Safin. Jorge is the Conductor.”

masterlist / part two

You are sitting with your back against the wall, wondering if you’re about to make a terrible choice. It takes a lot to survive in the Barrel, and even more to run it like you do. They call you Dirtyhands, the Bastard of the Barrel, the one person who’ll probably be ruling hell when they finally make it there themselves. 

The other two people around the table, though, just call you Y/N. They’re your gang, the only two people you’ve got the nerve to trust in an entire city full of traitors and liars. What’s funny is that you three are the worst of that lot by far, yet you’ve called for them and only them because they’re the ones who will actually watch your back instead of plunging a dagger into it. 

They’ve been on countless jobs with you, yet for some reason you hesitate now, before you have to explain the latest task before you and ask them to sign away their lives yet again. It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve done the impossible together, but this one is riskier than all the others. 

You look at them now, your favorite Dregs. Newt’s watching you candidly; he’s never had to hide his gaze, not with you. You’ve yet to see him turn down a dare if his friends are involved, but his fingers still idly tap on the pearl-handled revolvers at his sides. He’s a good shot, possibly the best there is. 

You’re going to need your sharpshooter tonight, you know that. Still, you don’t like the thought of risking his life on a hopeless crusade. Newt was a good kid, once, a farm boy who grew up taking shots in between towering rows of corn and tomatoes instead of dodging criminals and convicts like the rest of you. Were it not for the fact that the payout for this job could make all of you kings and queens, you’d never ask Newt to do a job with this many faults. The thought of seeing him finally at peace, eyes closed and heartbeat gone, fills you with far more dread than it should. 

Beside Newt, Teresa stares out the window, searching for someone she knows she’ll never find. You’ll need your Wraith in this job, too, and especially tonight. Teresa deals in secrets, and knows just about everything on just about anyone, yet no matter how hard she searches, she never hears about the one person she wants to find most of all. 

You brought Teresa out of an indentured servitude from a brothel down the block, the Menagerie. Since then, she’s been nothing if not loyal, but you can tell that her focus always shifts back to those darker days if she’s not careful. 

One time, she told you about a boy she’d left behind there, a boy named Thomas. She thought she could get him out, and he thought she was betraying them to Ava Paige, the head of the Menagerie. He ran and never forgave her, and Teresa has been trying to find him again ever since. 

These two are your right and left hands, the backbone of your gang. As much as you hate to admit weakness, you wouldn’t be where you are today without them. Now, you’re asking them to risk their lives on a foolish quest that nobody would look at twice. 

Nobody, that is, except Dirtyhands. 

There is no more time to prolong the inevitable, so you fix each of them with a steely gaze. “There’s an opportunity coming up. Dangerous, but the payoff will be more than anything we’ve ever done before.”

Newt arches an eyebrow. “You say that as if it’s meant to dissuade us. Dangerous just means fun.”

Teresa leans forward. “You’ve never warned us about danger before. What happened?”

A muscle in your jaw clenches and you have to force yourself to relax before continuing on. “I was warned to stay away before we even had this conversation by Janson.”

Newt inhales sharply. He knows just as well as you do what Janson’s warnings mean. Janson is the head of your rival gang, W.I.C.K.E.D., and he’s notoriously brutal, perhaps even more than you. What’s more, your conflict with him is personal, although you don’t think Janson remembers. 

You were a kid when W.I.C.K.E.D. screwed you over, just a kid. They said they could help you survive in this sort of world, that you could make a difference and make choices the right way. To a bunch of kids who were too young to bear half the weight on their shoulders, it sounded perfect. 

You managed to get away when the Queen’s Lady plague spiked and everyone was forced inside. It took your brother from you, though, and made you swear to get your revenge on Janson one day. He could have helped, and instead he made all of you monsters. For that, he will pay. You won’t rest until he does. 

Newt knows this, and he knows what Janson warning you away means. “You’re not backing down, are you?”

You shake your head once, decisive. “No. The rest of you can, though.”

Newt laughs. “You don’t actually think we’re going to leave you on this, right? I’m in, all the way. Should be fun at any rate.”

You give him a look, but before you can challenge this, Teresa nods as well. “If Janson tried to warn you away, it means the job’s more important than he cares to let on. He always has his reasons for doing things, and I want to know his motives.”

That’s Teresa for you, you suppose, always in it for the secrets, the knowledge. You can’t say you blame her- you’ve been thinking about this very job ever since you heard about it.

Newt taps absentmindedly on the table in front of him. “So, what’s the job, anyways? I haven’t heard any talk in the whole place, so it must be secretive.”

You nod once. “Secretive and recent. Rumor has it that we need to find a way to cross the Shadow Fold by midnight tonight.”

Teresa blows out a low breath. “That’s almost impossible.”

Newt chuckles to himself. “Nothing we do is impossible. I’ve even seen Y/N smile.”

You roll your eyes. “Much of the job sounds like a hoax, anyways. Were it not for the massive payoff, I’d think they were trying to make fools of us. They want us to find the Sun Summoner. He’s a boy named Minho, and they want him brought here.”

Teresa’s eyes widen. “The Sun Summoner has been spotted?”

You hold up a hand to stave off her excitement. Teresa has always believed in morals, ethics, that there is a sense of right and wrong, and in a world like this, those take the places of the Saints. The Sun Summoner is another one of her stories, but you see it as nothing more than an excuse to let people push their problems off to the future, hoping that some mythical hero will come to save them.

Nobody is saving you, though, just yourself. “I wouldn’t get too interested. It’s likely a fake, some boy waving a torch that made people lose their minds. At any rate, it’s a job.”

Newt smirks. “Always the optimist, aren’t you, Y/N? You hear about a Saint come to live with us and you call him a party trick.”

You fold your hands over the crow’s head cane at your side. “I’ll believe in the Saints when they deliver me salvation from their very own glowing hands. Until then, I believe in what money can do for us, and this job’s got a better chance at that than any amount of miracles.”

Teresa wants to argue with this, but eventually the three of you leave your office at the top of the Slat in search of answers. Crossing the Shadow Fold is damn near impossible; doing it with a kidnapped Sun Summoner will be even harder. You’ll need your own way across, something no one has been able to accomplish in all the centuries since the mass of shadows split Ravka in two.

You do find something, eventually, thanks to a liar in the Crow Club. There’s a man here who goes by the name of the Conductor. Teresa finds him first, and after dodging Ava Paige’s desires to get the guy working for her or dead, you question him long enough to find out his motives.

The Conductor, as it turns out, is a middle-aged man graying at the seams. He calls himself Jorge, and despite the fact that you can’t tell whether or not he’s entirely playing at the tough madman look, you think you’ll be able to get him to work.

You can tell he’s hiding something, though, and after a few more words are discussed Jorge confesses why he’s been so invested in finding a way across the Fold. There’s a girl in East Ravka, he says, Brenda. She’s technically a Corporalnik, but she had the strange ability to alter people’s faces instead of stopping their hearts. She was a friend of Jorge’s, but he hasn’t seen her since she was taken to the Little Palace. He’s heard terrible rumors of greedy kings and jealous queens, and hopes to find a way to get her out or at least make sure she’s alright.

Eventually, you, Newt, Teresa, and Jorge set out for the Fold. Jorge has a clunker of a train ready for you, and after Newt manages to come up with some alabaster coal to power the thing, you’re on your way over to Ravka.

After many tense discussions, some within Jorge’s range of hearing and some outside, you form a plan. It had been brewing in the back of your mind for a while, the scraps of something that could work, but now you know for sure that it will. At least, you can hope. Few things truly go according to plan, and on a job like this, all bets are off. 

You and Teresa are inside the Ravkan palace now, watching the Winter Fete progress. You have yet to see Minho, but that’s no guarantee. The Grisha have likely kept their Sun Summoner safe until the last minute, too afraid of what kinds of people would come looking for him. People like you, for example. Monsters and thieves. 

Newt is somewhere outside, arranging a quick method of escape. He’d complained at this in the beginning, that he was so removed from the fight. You didn’t have the heart to tell him that it’s because you cannot stand to lose him, and at least one of you should get the chance to run if things go south. 

Murmurs begin to drift through the room, spreading like wildfire until voices seem to cascade from every corner and stairwell. 

You nod at Teresa. “This should be it. Stay close and stay wary.”

Across the room, two figures emerge from a distant hallway. One is dressed in white, and she matches the description Jorge gave you- this must be Brenda. She looks anxiously at the boy in front of her, the one pushing recklessly through the crowd as if he couldn’t care less about what rich noblemen thought of him.

Minho, the Sun Summoner. He walks to the stage after conversing with a few other Grisha. You don’t know what to make of him; this boy wears his heart on his sleeve, and doesn’t bother hiding a single one of his emotions. He doesn’t seem the type to pull an elaborate hoax on everyone present, wouldn’t try and convince everyone that he’s a rare and powerful Etherealnik few have even heard of, but appearances can be deceiving.

The lights in the room dim, and Minho spreads his hands. His eyes flash, and sunlight begins to pour from his hands. A proud smirk lodges itself firmly into his expression, and you get the feeling that this boy is not the type to doubt himself. He’d run himself into the ground if he thought it meant protecting those he cared about; either that, or let his power run wild into the world if it abandoned him.

Sunlight fills the room, ricocheting off of every corner and wall. Beside you, Teresa clasps a hand to her heart, almost to the point of tears. She whispers something in your ear about how she’s never felt something like this in a long time. You would beg to differ, though. This sort of warmth, this feeling of never having to be alone- you feel it every morning when you see Newt. He is the precise shade of light that is currently being draped across the halls, and even if he’s technically outside preparing the carriage, when Minho spreads his arms you can practically feel Newt standing next to you.

Teresa looks stunned and amazed, but you just think about what this means. The Sun Summoner is real, Minho just proved himself, and that means you need to get on with the plan. You and Teresa wait until Minho steps from the stage and escapes from the quickly arriving crowd of supporters to make your move.

You’re supposed to pose as guards and pretend that you’re going to usher him to dinner, but the second you and Teresa try to get Minho anywhere a new figure shows up, this one clad in robes of black. Gally has been general of the Second Army for some time now, although he’s long been plagued by a deadly nickname. The Darkling, come to ruin you all just like his ancestor did long before.

Gally nods brusquely at the two of you. “I’ll take over. We need to discuss the war.” 

You’ve heard rumors from offended serving staff that Gally and Minho get on far better than they should. Although Minho’s supposed to be a paragon of hope and sunlight, he’s apparently shown himself to be far more brutal than most saints. That’s where he gets along with Gally, at any rate. They seem to be rather wary friends, but it’s a friendship that makes Fjerda and Shu Han tremble with fear.

Minho heads away with Gally before you and Teresa can say another word, both Grisha talking in low voices. Their faces are twisted with something dark, something like a need for vengeance. You’ve seen it on your own face too many times to count.

Teresa looks nervous, but no matter. All plans were made to change. You follow the two Grisha out, hoping to catch Minho when Gally is brought away by another matter. 

As it turns out, that won’t happen. Minho all but disappears- you can’t find him anywhere, and neither can Teresa, which surprises you. Eventually, you’re forced to retreat back to Newt’s side, although he seems strangely pleased about the whole matter. He refuses to say a word on it, though, not until the next day dawns and the carriage stops.

Newt proudly opens the trunk of the carriage to reveal one startled, wary Sun Summoner. You look slowly from Minho, who’s crawling out of the carriage with his hands raised in warning, then back to Newt, who looks as pleased as if he’s just been named the world’s best sharpshooter.

“This is why you looked so proud of yourself?”

Newt just smirks. “Hey, I did my job. That makes one of us, by the way.”

You deliver your best cutting glare, but it just makes Newt’s smile grow.

Minho coughs pointedly. “Who are you people, and why are you looking at me like I’m some sort of prize money?”

You fold your hands on top of your crow’s head cane. “Probably because you are. We know you’re the Sun Summoner.”

Minho’s face darkens. “Then you know I won’t hesitate to take all of you down.”

Newt’s hands drift towards his guns, but you hold up a hand. “That doesn’t have to happen. You’re running, aren’t you?”

You recognize the strained look on Minho’s face, the way he keeps glancing around as if in search of a way out. We all look like this in the Barrel, we all keep our weight on our toes and measure our futures in how quickly they can be escaped. Wouldn’t it be something to get away with this job after all?

Minho looks surprised that you managed to figure this out, so you keep going. “You’re in need of protection, a place to belong. We can give you all of that. All we ask is that you hold off on blinding us for a little while. It’ll be hard to outrun all of the Darkling’s Grisha, won’t it? You know his ruthlessness firsthand. Use yours to escape him. Come with us.”

Minho wavers, but eventually shakes his head. “I need to find a friend of mine.”

You arch a brow. “We’re rather good at finding people. Come with us, maybe we can track him down together.”

Minho’s gaze shutters. “Sounds like you’re trying to kidnap me, which I am very much against. Thomas is already looking for me, and he can find his way anywhere, out of any trap.”

Teresa gasps. It’s one of the first times you’ve seen her truly shaken. “Did you say your friend’s name was Thomas?”

Minho frowns. “Yeah, we’ve known each other for years. I can’t even remember what life was like before he joined us at the orphanage.”

Teresa looks thunderstruck. If this is her Thomas, then she’s going to want to keep Minho close so she can find her friend once more.

Minho seems to realize this, and raises his hands higher. “I’m not going to say it again. Let me go or else.”

Enough is enough. You start to move forward, as does Newt. You need to finish the job. Minho flinches at the movement and brings his hands together. A wave of sunlight bright enough to scorch your retinas cascades from him, forcing you to look away lest you be blinded outright. When you look up again, even half a moment later, Minho is gone.

You curse. “Fan out. We need to find him.”

Newt’s already shaking his head, confirming the truth that you don’t want to hear. “He’s gone, Y/N. We need to figure out what we’re going to do, not center around him.”

You nod. “Jorge stayed at the Palace, something about how he needed to stay for Brenda. He’s either with her or captured, and we can’t afford to waste time waiting for him. We need a new way to cross the Fold.”

It’s an impossibility, and all three of you know it. A heavy silence descends upon the camp, which only worsens as darkness grows. Teresa retreats inside an abandoned barn you’d found along the path. She hasn’t been the same since she heard Thomas’ name; it’s like she’s been reminded of a thousand memories, all of which she never thought she’d have again.

Newt, on the other hand, has only seemed more and more irritated since Minho gave you the slip. Eventually, his constant pacing wears on you, and you turn to him at last.

“What’s giving you such trouble? Either figure it out or put a stop to it, I’m sick of your worrying.”

Newt laughs, although the sound is far from pleasant. “Such kind words from our leader.”

You raise a brow. “I have never been kind, Newt. Don’t go looking for what you know I won’t show.”

Newt raises his hands to the sky as if silently pleading with the Saints to give him a better shot. “And you seem to revel in it, too. Honestly, would it kill you to show some emotion for once?”

You give him an unimpressed look. “I’m disappointed that the job didn’t go according to plan. Happy?”

Newt makes a face. “Delighted. Have you ever cared about anyone other than yourself, or is that all just a joke, too?”

You look over at him, attention now fully turned towards the conversation. “That was an abrupt change. Something on your mind?”

Newt glances towards the barn, where Teresa still remains inside. “Teresa just found out that the one person who matters most in her life might be within arm’s reach. We just lost our way home, and all you can think about is that you might miss out on the money.”

You consider the night sky before you, somehow unable to meet his gaze. “One of us has to think about the rational things. Why shouldn’t it be me?”

Newt sighs, running a hand through his golden hair. “Why am I even on this team? Why do you still keep me around? Don’t tell me there’s something rational about that too.”

You walk a few paces over to him. “Why are you bringing this up now? I hired you because you were a good investment, someone I could trust. That’s rare. I keep you here because you’ve proven yourself time and time again.”

Newt nods, although he doesn’t seem any happier. “Not because you enjoy my company? Because we’re friends?”

You scoff and look away, but Newt continues. This time, his voice is softer, as if he’s afraid. “I found out something about your files. You’ve only been hiring people who are immune to the Queen’s Lady plague. Teresa’s immune, Jeff’s immune, everyone is. Everyone except me. Why am I here, Y/N? Why go to all that trouble for some guy who doesn’t fit your standards?”

A sudden burst of rage spikes through you, too hot to stamp out. “Am I not allowed to have my secrets? Can’t you just respect me making my decisions for what is best for the Dregs?”

Newt shakes his head. “Not when it means you don’t care about me. What am I, anyway? A throwaway, someone you can risk on dangerous jobs because it won’t matter if I get out or not?”

You rear back, stunned. “Newt, the one reason you’re here is because I care too much about you. The rational thing to do would be to have never hired you in the first place. Everyone’s immune because I cannot stand losing a single other person, not to the plague. I can protect us from that, but I can’t protect you. You’re still here because I cannot bear to lose you. It is risky, and dangerous, and the worst sort of weakness, but I cannot lose you, Newt. That’s why.”

You take a harsh breath, swear you can feel it rattling in your lungs. Newt looks taken aback. “You care about me?”

You step away, unable to face him. “Too much so, yes.”

You hear the sound of footsteps and distantly wonder if he’s running away, so sick of you that he can’t bear to be around you anymore.

Then he’s in front of you, reaching for you, kissing you, and you cannot think about anything else but you and him and how good it feels to kiss him after all of this time.

Newt breaks away, laughing slightly in spite of himself. “You could have said that a little sooner, you self-sacrificing idiot.”

You reach out to tap him on the chest, right above the heart. “You shouldn’t call the leader of your gang an idiot. I’m known to kill people who displease me.”

Newt smirks, kisses you again. “I’d like to see you try.”

maze runner tag list: @rogueanschel​, @ellobruv, @lxncelot, @neewtmas, @thatfangirl42​

requested by @thornyrose463​, who also made this moodboard!

[aneiria-writes]

A Soft Light Rising

A Hades / Persephone AU, written for @kanejweek 2022 - prompt: Kings and Queens

Read on AO3 here, or keep on reading below...

xxx

There were rumours, around the Barrel, that Dirtyhands had tricked his Wraith into becoming his queen. Had offered her false, tempting lies, or promises to expand her fleet of ships, or reassurances she would keep her freedom, despite being chained to him.

Others claimed he’d lured her with a perfect, ripe pomegranate, plump with ruby seeds, and signed her life over to him while she was distracted by the taste, lips pink with juice and eyes closed in bliss.

Whatever the truth, the Wraith of Ketterdam spent half the year in the city, the deadly shadow by Dirtyhands’ side, and the king and queen of the Barrel stalked the streets they ruled, two pairs of dark, dangerous eyes keeping watch over each other. 

The other half of the year, the Wraith left Ketterdam and her king behind, sailing away on her ship, never once looking back. 

Of course, there had always been rumours floating around the Barrel, and not often were they entirely true. 

xxx

‘Meja! Oh, my Inej, it has been too long!’ 

Inej’s mother already had tears streaking down her cheeks as she ran towards her daughter, flinging her arms around Inej as she walked into the circle of caravans. From behind her, Inej’s father smiled fondly, waiting patiently for his wife to release their child.

‘Mama, please,’ Inej murmured, allowing herself to be stroked, held, wept upon. ‘It has only been half a year.’

It was the same every spring, when the ice thawed and she set off from Ketterdam and across the True Sea once again. 

Inej’s mother huffed indignantly. ‘And if it were not for that Brekker, clouding your good sense with his dark trickery, you would be back safe in your caravan all year long, with your parents, where you belong.’ 

‘Cara, my love.’ Inej’s father moved close then, gently pulling her mother back. His voice was gentle, but held just a hint of warning. ‘Kaz is who Inej has chosen. Ketterdam is where she has chosen. Be grateful she is able to spend even half a year with us, ov?’ He smiled at Inej as her mother tutted. ‘Welcome back, meja.’ 

Kaz had never joined Inej on her trips to Ravka. It had been made clear, back in Ketterdam when her parents arrived at the docks that first time, that although they were infinitely grateful for him reuniting them with their daughter, the Ghafas considered him a demon, a devil, and not someone worthy of their bright, happy, precious only daughter. 

Even after five years’ of marriage, Inej’s mother acted as if Kaz had tricked her into loving him, had stolen Inej away from the safety of her caravan’s embrace — as if he were no different to the slavers who first snatched her away, no different from Tante Heleen herself. 

Inej had cut her first visit home short, when her mother refused to stop making snide, hurtful comments about Kaz, and ever since her mother had managed to keep to the minimum of insults when Inej made her yearly visit. 

And as much as Inej loved her parents, her family, the life she’d long lost, she knew she loved her husband more. She missed him desperately, ached for his tender touch, his bitter-coffee eyes, the single-minded devotion he held for her.

She’d been thinking, more and more: six months was not enough for her, anymore.

xxx

The deal had been the deal. 

Kaz asked her to stay, but Inej knew she had to be free to sail the seas, to bring some form of justice to the dark, cruel world. To see her parents, and try to rebuild their relationship. The compromise had been half a year with Kaz, and half a year to herself. 

And no matter how much he missed her, the gentle touch of his wife, her brilliant eyes and kind smile and wicked tongue, Kaz knew he could never deny her anything. Besides, six months with his queen at his side in Ketterdam felt far more than he’d ever deserved.

Still, he missed her, in the months she sailed away from him. Missed her with a longing, an intensity, that no-one would believe was possible from the Bastard of the Barrel. 

In her absence, Kaz haunted the Barrel, kept the city under control, ran his Dregs’ with an iron fist. He visited the Van Eck mansion, had supper with Jesper and Wylan, ran his schemes and heists and plays as usual.

And he waited, with every beat of his darkened heart, for his love to return to him. 

In the week before she was due back into her berth at Fifth Harbour, Kaz started preparing for her return. He opened up their house on Zelverstraat, airing the rooms, laundering the musty sheets and towels until everything smelled as bright and flowery as Inej herself. He stocked the kitchen with the ingredients for her favourite pan bread and dhal, as well as hutspot, and of course, fruits of every kind. 

Inej loved all fruit indiscriminately, from the crispy apples and fat, sweet peaches that were Kerch’s speciality, to gold-fleshed mangoes, tiny purple blueberries, sharp, juicy oranges the size of her fist. And always, ripe, blush-coloured pomegranates, her favourite. From the first one she’d ever tasted, on the eve of their wedding, Inej had declared them the most delicious food, and Kaz had ensured that their house was laden with pomegranates each time she returned to him. 

Now, he waited on the docks of Fifth Harbour, ignoring the chill in the air, his hands clasped on the crows-head of his cane. He almost smiled when the Wraith appeared on the hazy horizon, perfectly on time, and stayed standing, silent, watchful, until the sprightly warship swept into berth twenty-two, and her captain leapt up onto the brow of the boat. Kaz barely had time to raise a hand in greeting before Captain Ghafa grabbed onto a sheet and swung down onto the dock and into his waiting arms with a golden laugh. 

‘My darling Inej,’ Kaz crooned, kissing her greedily, stroking her silken hair, breathing in the sunshine smell of her as he buried his face into her neck. ‘My queen, my love. I have missed you.’ 

I have missed you: such mundane words, for the depth of feeling they portrayed. He’d missed her, of course, but in a way so much more than just missing. He’d missed her, like the winter missed the flowers, like the summer missed the rains. 

He’d missed her, and now she was in his arms, his, again, for the next six months.

‘I missed you too, Kaz,’ she murmured, her breath as sweet as spring air against his cheek. She kissed him again, and for a moment he imagines blossoms flowering in his hair as her lips breathe life into him.

xxx

‘They say I stole you away,’ Kaz whispers into her hair, as she pushes his shirt from his shoulders. 

‘I ate the fruit willingly,’ Inej gasps, as his soft lips kiss the tender skin of her neck. 

‘They think I have chained you to me,’ Kaz murmurs, arms tensed, as she pushes him back onto their bed with a sharp smile.

‘It is I who have chained you, my love,’ she smiles in return, trailing a long, steady finger down the muscles of his stomach. 

‘They think you are my Queen of Hell.’

‘They don’t realise you’re my King of Flowers.’

Kaz groans as she sinks onto him, her back arched, her hair loose, her skin glowing in the light of the oil lamp. ‘I love you, Inej,’ he manages, before she wipes his mind clean with her voice, her body, her very being. 

Her eyes are bright with adoration and wicked with intent as she smiles down at him, straddled across his hips, holding him hostage to her heart. ‘And I love you, Kaz.’

xxx

A soft light rising above the level meadow, behind the bed. He takes her in his arms. He wants to say I love you, nothing can hurt you

but he thinks this is a lie, so he says in the end you're dead, nothing can hurt you which seems to him a more promising beginning, more true.

- A Myth of Devotion, by Louise Glück

[southslates]

seeing someone say that inej ghafa had stockholm syndrome and that kaz brekker is an abusive monster has got me so pressed, funny enough because i could understand that as the most surface level reading of the characters you could get,

but you can’t ignore the way kaz respects inej in all respects and helps her defend herself, the way he trusts her with his heists and thievery and with his life, the way he literally crafted her into a weapon that could kill him, the way he only let her see his dirty hands, the way he fainted in front of her and was willing to do anything to get to her

and you can’t ignore the fact that kaz never truly pressured inej into doing anything and let her make all of her own decisions, especially in terms of going with him. he never forced her to go on a heist, he never forced her to stay with him, he openly let her go when she wanted to, he understood that no meant no, he respected her reasoning for everything

you can’t forget that kaz entrusted his past to her, the past he’d even refused to truly acknowledge himself, you can’t forget that kaz knew how much the menagerie hurt inej and ensured it wouldn’t harm her again, you can’t ignore that he never made her get a tattoo, that he always let her be free

and you can’t ignore that it’s always kaz and inej, king and queen of the barrel, two lonely, traumatized children, an orphan who was forced to grow up by himself and carved himself up into a bastard of a place he was reborn into, the girl sold into prostitution who pressed brass knuckles against anyone who talked to her the wrong way, and reduce them to that kind of story

the entire POINT of kaz & inej is that they are autonomous characters who develop alongside each other, because of each other, but they are not defined by each other

stockholm syndrome is when someone develops feelings for someone who kidnapped them, and you’re telling me that the kaz brekker who got inej out of her own personal hell and armed her with the ability to make a living using her own skills kidnapped her? 

and if all you see when you hear “the thief and his wraith” is an abusive love story than perhaps you didn’t actually read six of crows, because kaz and inej do not deserve being belittled down to the parts of their personalities they actively struggled to overcome

they were willing to die for each other and willing to kill for each other, and that’s true love anyway

[capinejghafa]

SOC/CK Book Quotes [Gifset Master  List]

below is a compilation of my gifsets about soc/ck book quotes (so far). including scene manips, insp sets, and concept sets. as well as any other sets in the grishaverse that i used book quotes/incorrect quotes. 

all quote credits go to leigh bardugo :)

Split up into: 

Ship or Characters | Chapter of the Book | POV Character | Quote

Six of Crows Quotes (manip scenes):

Kanej | Chapter 4 | Inej | “We’ll be queens and kings, Inej.”

Kanej | Chapter 4 | Inej | “Please, my darling Inej, treasure of my heart, won’t you do me the honor of acquiring me a new hat?”

Kanej | Chapter 5 | Kaz | In moments like that, he thought she might hate him.

Kaz & Helnik | Chapter 5 | Kaz | “You’ve seen [Matthias]?”

Kaz & Wylan| Chapter 8 & 21 | Jesper & Inej | “Who’s mark?”

Kaz | Chapter 13 | Kaz | “My Wraith would counsel mercy. But thanks to you, she’s not here to plead your case.”

Kanej | Chapter 16 | Inej | “My enemies?” / “Our enemies.”

Kanej | Chapter 25 | Inej | “A strange sound escaped Inej’s throat, part sob, part laugh, a weak, embarrassing sound, but it had been months since she’d heard her own name, her family name.”

Kanej | Chapter 28 | Inej | “If we don’t survive this night, I will die unafraid, Kaz. Can you say the same?”

Wesper | Chapter 32 | Jesper | “Just girls? No. Not just girls.”

Inej & Genya | R&R (Chapter 8) & SOC (Inej, Chapter 33) | Favorite Scene(s) -> Grishaverse

Kanej | Chapter 38 | Kaz | “The sobs he’d ignored.”

Kanej | Chapter 42 | Inej | “I will have you without armor, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all.” [Version 1] / [Version 2*]

Pekka & Kaz | Chapter 46 | Pekka | “I respect your drive, kid. And I understand. You want your money; you want the Wraith back; you want a bit of Van Eck’s hide—”

Six of Crows Insp Quotes (quotes that insp the sets):

Kanej | Chapter 3 | Kaz | Inej’s Saints (multiple quotes)

Inej & Kanej | Chapter 4 | Inej | “One minute [Kaz] made [Inej] blush and the next he made her want to commit murder.”

Kanej | Chapter 6 | Nina | “But Kaz’ll keep to any deal you strike with him.”

Kaz | Chapter 10 | Inej | “The thick sheaf of his dark hair was combed back, the sides trimmed short as always.”

Inej & Jesper | Chapter 17 | Jesper | “That makes you a rotten gambler, Jesper. But an excellent friend.”

Kanej | Chapter 18 | Kaz | “I’ll get us out. You know that.”

Kanej | Chapter 25 | Inej | “The truth was [Inej had] tried to sneak up on Kaz plenty of times since then. She’d never managed it. It was as if once Kaz had seen her, he’d understood how to keep seeing her.“

Inej | Chapter 25 | Inej | Inej + prayer 

Kanej | Chapter 38 | Kaz | “[inej] laughed, and if [kaz] could have bottled the sound and gotten drunk on it every night, he would have.”

Kanej | Chapter 45 | Kaz | “he looked at inej.”

Six of Crows Insp Quotes (concept sets):

Inej | Chapter 2 | Inej | “the only law that applied to her was gravity, and some days she defied that, too.” 

Kaz & Jesper | Chapter 3 | Kaz | “Kaz could have told Jesper that he knew he wasn’t dirty, reminded him that he’d trusted him enough to make him his only real second in a fight that could have gone badly wrong tonight.”

Kanej | Chapter 4 | Inej | “We’ll be kings and queens, Inej. Kings and queens.” 

Wesper | Chapter 8 | Jesper | “You’re passable at demo. You’re excellent at hostage.” 

Kanej | Chapter 18 | Kaz | “Instead he thought, What happens if I move closer?” 

Inej | Chapter 25 | Inej |  “Four million kruge, freedom, a chance to return home.” 

Kaz | Chapter 26 / 45 | Kaz | Kaz’ real name (multiple quotes)

Kanej | SOC (Chapter 26, Inej) & CK (Chapter 26, Kaz) | “I can help you.”

The Crows | Chapter 28 | Inej | “A gambler, a convict, a wayward son, a lost grisha, a suli girl who had become a killer, a boy from the Barrel who had become something worse.”

OG Crows | Chapter 38 | Kaz | “You shouldn’t make friends with crows” / “Why not?” 

Kanej | Chapter 38 | Kaz | “But all he could think of was Inej. she had to live. she had to have made it out of the ice court. and if she hadn’t, then he had to live to rescue her.”

Kanej | Chapter 38 | Kaz | “He needed to thank her for his new hat.”

Crooked Kingdom Quotes (manip scenes):

Kanej | Chapter 11 | Inej | “Did he hurt you.” / “ No. He didn’t hurt me.”

Kanej | Chapter 12 | Kaz | “Why the net?”

Inej & Jesper | Chapter 23 | Wylan | “Jesper Llewellyn Fahey?”

Kanej | Chapter 26 (insp/based on) | Kaz | there was only one bed au/injured!Kaz

Kanej | Chapter 26 | Kaz | “Inej was stronger than he would ever be.”

Wesper | Chapter 28 | Jesper | "Stop.”

Wesper | Chapter 28 | Jesper | “I can read to him.”

The Crows (4/6) | Chapter 42 | Jesper | “It was a little like forgiveness.”

Crows | Chapter 42 | Jesper | “It was a little like forgiveness.”

Kanej | Chapter 44 | Inej | “How many times have you told me you’re a monster? So be a monster.”

Kanej | Chapter 44 | Inej | “That’s the laugh.”

Kanej & Inej’s Parents | Chapter 44 | Inej | Inej saw [her parents] in turn, saw her mother grip her father’s arm. They were running towards her.

Inej | Chapter 44 | Pekka | “Death is a gift you haven’t yet earned.”

Crooked Kingdom Insp Quotes (quotes that insp the sets):

Kanej | Chapter 2 | Wylan | “They were the last words he’d spoken. If he’d talked less, he might have lived.”

**Wylan | Chapter 14 | “My mother is Ketterdam. She birthed me in the harbor.”

Inej & Jesper | Chapter 24 | Jesper | “Mati en sheva yelu. This action will have no echo.” 

Inej | Chapter 27 | Inej | “She’d often wished to chip away a bit of his arrogance, but she couldn’t bear the idea of seeing Kaz stripped of his pride.”

Crooked Kingdom Insp Quotes (concept sets):

Inej | Chapter 4 | Inej | I may not have Kaz’s devious mind, but I am a dangerous girl.

Inej | Chapter 4 | Inej | “[Inej] named the blades anyway—Petyr, Marya, Anastasia, Lizabeta, Sankt Vladimir, Sankta Alina—and found courage in each whispered word.”

Kanej | Chapter 11 | Inej | “She had wanted to believe they’d become more to each other. Jan Van Eck had robbed her of that illusion.”

Kaz | Chapter 11 | Inej | “Inej remembered the way the sun had caught the brown in his eyes only hours before.”

Kanej | Chapter 12 | Kaz | “Kaz held her gaze, saw the moon reflected there, twin scythes of light.”

Wylan & the Crows | Chapter 23 | Wylan | “Wylan hadn’t quite understood how much they meant to him.”

Kanej | Chapter 12 | Kaz | “But they’d tried. He’d tried. Maybe they could try again.”

Inej | Chapter 35 | Inej | “When the world owed you nothing, you demanded something of it anyway.” 

Kanej | Chapter 44 | Inej | “Her life had been a series of impossible moments, so why not ask for something impossible now?”

OG Crows | Chapter 44 | Inej | “They tell each other who to look after and who to watch out for.” [V1] [V2]

Kanej | Chapter 44 | Inej | “The boy beside her. The future before her. Anything was possible.” [V1] [V2]

Cracked sets / AU Sets (SOC - AU)

AU | Kanej | Fic Rec | were we meant to have a happy ending? (not in this lifetime)

AU | Kanej | Fic Rec | roomy, and drenched in sunlight

AU | Kanej | Fic Rec | ghost maker

AU | Kanej | Fic Rec | A Ghost Girl’s Guide to Ketterdam

AU | Kanej | Fic Rec | The Four Seasons 

AU | Kanej | Fic Rec | The Bastard Saint Of The Barrel

AU | Kanej | Fic Rec | call it by name

AU | Kanej | Fic Rec | Call from the Grave

AU | Kanej | Fic Rec | All Kinds Of New Friends

AU | Kanej | Fic Rec | My Dearest Inej  

AU | Kanej | Collab w/ oneofthewednesdays​  | “That Laugh?” 

AU | Kanej | Criminals/Partners in Crime | after a heist goes wrong, kaz  has to clean up inej’s first kill. (part i)

AU | Kanej | Criminals/Partners in Crime | kaz lets inej take lead on their next heist. (part ii)

AU | Kanej | Meeting the Parents | after a bad first impression, inej tries to get kaz to have dinner with her and her parents.

AU | Kanej | Married | Insp by Fic

AU | Kanej | Circus | Magician!Kaz and Acrobat!Inej

AU |  Kanej | Reincarnation | maybe i’ll see you in another life / if this one wasn’t enough

AU | Kanej | Hadestown | orpheus as inej & eurydice as kaz

AU | Kanej | Reunion at Van Eck | “Captain Ghafa.” / “Kaz.”

AU | Kanej | Reunion - Handhand Holding | “Welcome back... Inej.”

AU | Kanej & Wesper | Scheming faces | Scheming face?

AU | Wesper | Prince & the Soldier | “Lost Princeling”

AU | Kanej | Sick AU | “What are you doing here?”

AU | Crows | College Majors | Various - Multi

Cracked sets / AU Sets (SOC - Incorrect Quotes)

Incorrect Quote | Jesper & Kaz | Mr. Iglesias | Good morning, Kaz.

Incorrect Quote | Crows | B99 | Rules are made to be broken.

Incorrect Quote | Kanej (ft. Jesper) | Unk | Kaz says “I love you” weird

Incorrect Quote | Crows | Community | And remember, kids: Don’t die.

Incorrect Quote | OG Crows | Unk | “You don’t want Kaz to die.”

Incorrect Quote | Kanej (ft. Jesper and Alina) | The IT Crowd | “Just say you’re sorry and move on.

Incorrect Quote | Kanej (ft. the Crows) | Unk/Insp | Kaz likes Inej.

Incorrect Quote | Crows | Bob’s Burgers | “I am the voice of the night!”

Incorrect Quote | Kaz & Wylan | POI/CK | “My mother is Ketterdam. She birthed me in the harbor.” (repeat)

Incorrect Quote | OG Crows | Parks & Recs | Codenames

Incorrect Quote | Kanej | Unkn/Insp | “We could...” 

Incorrect Quote | Kanej | Spikey44 | “...a simple I love you, or thanks now and then would be appreciated.”

Incorrect Quote/Book Quote | Kanej | Tumblr/SOC (42) | “Why are you so cold to Inej?” / “I will have you without armor, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all.” [Version 2*] (Repeat)

Incorrect Quote | Kanej | Unk | “Schrodinger's Cat”

Incorrect Quote | Kanej ft. Jesper | OFMD | “I would love to be stabbed by Inej.”

Incorrect Quote | Crows | Phineas and Ferb*| “Just twice.”

Incorrect Quote | Crows | The Simpsons | “I’d kill for you.”  

Incorrect Quotes | Crows | Unk | “How did none of you hear what I just said?”

Incorrect Quote | Crows | Unk | Blocking People in Real Life

Incorrect Quote | Crows | Unk | Arrest Charges? (v1 & v2)

Incorrect Quote | Crows | Unk | Murder

Incorrect Quote | Crows | Unk | [Sneezes.]

Incorrect Quote | Crows | Unk | “Saints.”

Other (Grishaverse): 

Manip scene: Shadow and Bone | Chapter 14 | “Just… be careful.” / [Alina] stared at [Genya], baffled. “Of what?” / “Of powerful men.”

Concept: Siege and Storm | Chapter 16 | “But I never thought, I never believed … all those people…”

Concept: Siege and Storm | Chapter 23 | “I have loved you all my life, Mal,” [Alina] whispered through [her] tears. “There is no end to our story.”

Concept: Ruin and Rising | Chapter 7 | I am not ruined, I am ruination (na razrusha'ya.  e‘ya razrushost.) (insp quote) [V1] [V2]

Manip scene: Grishas | Ruin and Rising | Chapter 8 | “I need to show you something,” [Alina] said.

Manip scene: Inej & Genya | R&R (Chapter 8) & SOC (Inej, Chapter 33) | Favorite Scene(s) -> Grishaverse* (repeat)

Manip scene: Rule of Wolves | Chapter 28 | Zoya | “It’s for Inej.”

Manip scene: Rule of Wolves | Chapter 28 | Zoya | “And when you rush a job, you don’t get to complain when the job goes wrong.

[draggingthedregs]

Hi, I’m in love with your writing and would love to see a headcannon/fic of Kaz and Inej disguising themselves and like….. walking around Ketterdam listening to all the rumors about them just to have a good laugh? Thank You!

a/n: this was absolutely adorable and hilarious. thank you anon.

looking back, they weren’t sure who’s idea it was, and if they were being completely honest, it was because they were too drunk to remember.

kaz and inej watched the sun set from the attic office, the golden light shimmering off the water as the sounds of the stave picked up for an evening of fun.

inej sat in her window, drinking from her glass in careful sips, smiling as they spoke. after nearly a month and a half apart, she seemed to hang on every word made of his rock-salt rasp.

and kaz was no better. he waited with baited breath for her laugh, hopelessly embellishing his stories to hear it again and again.

they drank to their separate successes, her at sea and him in ketterdam. the lives saved, the kruge earned, all because of the wraith and the bastard of the barrel. and slowly, they realized they were drinking to their shared successes too.

with every conversation, every graze of skin, every night together, they’d become closer. kaz no longer felt the kick of nausea that once accompanied her skin. inej didn’t feel the phantom hands pining her down everytime he came close.

they were each others exception and that was a damned good thing to drink to. so by the time ketterdam was swathed in darkness, they were a bottle of liquor deep.

“you’ve always had a reputation!” inej shifted the weight of her outstretched legs off his bad knee.

“one i’ve never experienced directly.”

“surely you just heard how that sounds.”

kaz smiled and rolled his eyes. “i mean that no one has ever told me the stories they’ve heard because they’re speaking to me.”

“so you want to hear what people have to say about you… without them knowing it’s you?”

“that’s exactly what i want.” he nudged one of calves, his smile spreading devilishly. “haven’t you ever wondered what bedtime stories they tell of the wraith?”

inej laughed but she couldn’t lie to him, not even if she was sober. “i have.”

thus, their terrible plan was born.

they pulled some old costumes from kaz’s collection and attempted to make themselves unrecognizable.

inej wore thick-soled boots, making her usual weightless steps heavy against the stone. her hair was tied up tightly under a dark, wool cloak.

kaz rid himself of his cane and replaced his usual jacket for a long coat, turning the collar up to conceal himself even further. he even added a hat for good measure, one that he let inej pick out. she always did have a good eye for his hats.

when they arrived to the bustling streets of the pleasure district, kaz linked his arm through inej’s. he felt her hand grip his sleeve tightly as she stifled a laugh.

had they not been so deep in the drink, this plan would have never worked. neither would have wanted to risk their cover by blantanly asking for answers, but they were too far gone to know the difference.

they started outside of a bar.

kaz mustered all the memories of nina’s acting, using his best kaelish accent to disguise his voice. he felt inej shake with another silent laugh. “what have you heard of the dregs? no ones given me a solid answer since i arrived.”

the man was too drunk to see any potential issues the question posed. his words slurred together as he raised his eyebrows in suspicion. “best stay away from the lot of them. they run nearly half the town and don’t care who they have to get rid of to do it.”

inej let out a gasp, “oh?”

he nodded, taking a sloppy drink from his stine. “aye. and then there’s the boss, brekker. but you’ll only hear him called dirtyhands in these parts. he’s a monster that one.” the man leaned close, so close they could smell the rot of his breath. “i hear he murdered his mum and dad as a boy and only went worse from there.”

the pair fought back laughter, said their goodbyes, and found their way to a makeshift performance by a traveling komedie brute. they stayed in the outskirts, finding a women to be their next victim.

inej assumed she worked for the group, working and collecting extra kruge from the crowd. “you all come here often?” inej tried to thicken her own accent, forcing the dips and lifts she recalled in her mother’s voice.

the women shrugged. “if the moneys good. why? no one likes the show that much.”

“it’s fine but- well we were just wondering if you could answer a few questions we had? about the- locals?”

“go ahead then.”

“we heard of a- dirtyhands? brekker, i believe was his other name. do you know anything-“

she placed her hand out, to signal inej’s stop. “you best keep your nose out of their business. it’s no place for someone like you. especially now that his ghost queen is back in town.”

inej hoped the laugh she choked down came off as fear. “his what?”

the woman rolled her eyes. “they call her the wraith and she might as well be a devil just like him. she’s wicked quick and deadly. and now she has a ship she captains, killing across the seas. so run along before they catch you sniffing about.”

as they turned to go, inej clutched harder to kaz’s arm, her side aching from laughter.

it could have been hours that passed, but they didn’t realize. they strolled slowly back to the slat, laughing to themselves over the ridiculous stories and secrets whispered in hushed voices.

here they were, those dangerous and formidable characters, walking along the dimly lit streets of their city as if they were any other couple.

perhaps in that moment, that is exactly what they were. no longer dirtyhands and the wraith, king and queen of the barrel, but kaz and inej: farm boy and suli acrobat come to enjoy all that ketterdam has to offer.

that night, they slept soundly. their limbs intertwined, their minds at rest knowing they would never have to hide from eachother behind a story or lie again.

[kanejfiction]

Hey 👋, I see your taking Kanej fic requests so I was wondering (if you can of course) write one where some creep causes Inej to vanish in the the Crow Club, and she’s trying to fight the memories and the past or somethin’ like that? Thank you so much 😊!

Hey there, I'm so sorry this is so pathetically late- but I tried :) hope you enjoy!

,,,,

Inej had not been to Ketterdam in eight months. Eight months since Kaz Brekker held her hand without gloves, eight months since she knew they may have a future together- a future where she was more than just the Queen of the seas and he was more than just the King of the barrel.

While setting out to save children who would have, possibly suffered the same fate as her, what Inej had not anticipated was- memories. The first time she had ever been on a ship was when she was fourteen, snatched from her parents and shoved into an abyss of unknown darkness.

Captain Ghafa was, of course, still more than capable of taking care of herself. She had, therefore not taken care to send out word that she would be docking in the Ketterdam harbor at night. By the time she was done with her duties with getting the children who came to Ketterdam transport to a safe place and unloading the ship, the moon was high and it was late.

Inej wasn’t concerned about how late it was. The city was still the same under the sole of her feet- even after eight months at sea. She entered the Slat through the front door.

“Wraith!”

“Keep your voice down, Pim.”

“You want me to tell the boss you’re here?”

That. Now that she had not considered. She took two moments to think,

“Yes.”

He looked like a boy getting toffee as he left his post at the door.

Inej walked into the Crow Club, still buzzing with pigeons and unlucky folks who had come to try their luck at Three Men Bramble. The air was thick with the smell of kvas and sweat.

Isn’t this a bit too crowded? Inej thought. But then maybe it was her long months at sea which had destroyed her habit. She walked in. The noise was a collective chatter, some men loud sometimes.

She had no thought about what Kaz would say, or do. Was he the same? Did he change? Did he work on his layers or did he build the walls back up again?

It was not usual for the wraith, or even Inej Ghafa to lose vision of her surroundings even when she was thinking- but this time, she had. And she managed to stop right in front of a big man. A man she recognized. From her past.

“The Suli Lynx, is it? C’mere little lynx”

She wasn’t the lynx anymore, she had come a long way since then. Hadn’t she? The silks were no more on her, it was her fighting gear. But the smell- it was the same smell she used to get from him back then. It was engraved in her memory.

Inej reached for her knives, but even they felt too heavy. She found herself wishing she could disappear into the shadows- so she did the next best thing.

The world started to fade from her view, her breathing came shallow, and she found herself hoping the man did not notice the change. Just like it used to be, back in the menagerie.

Suddenly that smell was gone. There was a loud groan somewhere and the air filled with the smell of cigars.

“Inej.”

Her name, Inej Ghafa, Captain Ghafa, The Wraith. Not the little lynx.

“Inej, look at me.”

Look. Open eyes.

“Open your damn eyes, Inej”

The voice had a rasp. It was familiar. She tried to get her breathing under control, and slowly opened her eyes- only to meet the bitter brown pupils of Kaz Brekker.

“To my room”

And he walked away. He had held her wrist with his gloved hands and now he was walking away. Inej began to wish she’d never come back.

She stood there for a moment, the crowd that had gathered being dispersed by Pim and Anika. His boot disappeared behind the door. She started up the stairs.

---

Hesitating before the door for a moment, she pushed it open. She expected Kaz to have his gloves on, back turned and berating her for not being useful for herself with her knives.

He did stand with his back turned and hands clasped behind, but he did not have gloves on. As soon as Inej clicked the door closed, he relaxed,

“Inej.”

“Kaz”

“You’re back.”

Inej swallowed a lump, “yes”

Unprecedented, he turned, and opened his arms in a low arc, welcoming her for a hug.

Inej was beyond surprised. She stood there for two moments- and then before she knew what she was doing, she was striding across the room and into him.

His arms wrapped around her waist and tightened as she clutched the fabric near his heart.

“Who was that?”

“Someone-” Inej choked, “someone who made me disappear everyday.”

“Do you want me to move away?”

His voice was soft, his smell was familiar and his heartbeat-

“No.” she said, swallowing, “no, Kaz. I want to be home.”

He said nothing, but she felt the briefest brush of his lips against her temple and the slightest tightening of his arms around her.

[haminflower]

recently finished the six of crows duology / trilogy(?) (i’m really late i know but shhh) and I can fully say that I’M OBSESSED.

the chemistry between every characters were undeniable and I love love love kaz and inej!!!

here are few quotes that has kept me up all night and I need to get it out,,

SIX OF CROWS: (e-book)

Kaz Brekker didn’t need a reason. (p26)

“who’d deny a poor cripple his cane?” “if the cripple is you, then any man with sense.” (p30)

“no mourners.” “no funerals.” (p33)

besides, she was the Wraith — the only law that applied to her was gravity, and some days she defied that, too.” (p33)

“i’m a businessman,” he’d told her. “no more, no less.” “you’re a thief, Kaz.” “isn’t that what i just said?” (p39)

but the night’s work wasn’t yet over, and the Wraith didn’t have time for traitors. (p55)

“when everyone knows you’re a monster, you needn’t waste time doing every monstrous thing.” (p61)

“greed is your god, Kaz.” he almost laughed at that. “no, Inej. greed bows to me. it is my servant and my lever.” (p62)

“men mock the gods until they need them, Kaz.” (p63)

“we’ll be kings and queens, Inej. kings and queens.” (p100)

“please, my darling Inej, treasure of my heart, won’t you do me the honour of acquiring me a new hat?” (p103)

brick by brick, i will destroy you. (p107)

Nina just liked to flirt with everything. he’d once seen her make eyes at a pair of shoes she fancied in a shop window. (p112)

“you may still die in the Dregs.” Inej’s dark eyes had glinted. “i may. but i’ll die on my feet with a knife in my hand.” (p132)

Matthias was dreaming again. dreaming of her. (p150)

her curls brushed his cheeks, and he felt that if he could just hold her a little longer, every wound, every hurt, every bad thing would melt away. (p150-151)

the heart is an arrow. it demands aim to land true. (p195)

many boys will bring you flowers. but someday you’ll meet a boy who will learn your favorite flower, your favorite song, your favorite sweet. and even if he is too poor to give you any of them, it won’t matter because he will have taken the time to know you as no one else does. only that boy earns your heart. (p196)

“close your eyes!” “you can’t kiss me from down there, Wylan.” (p211)

“talk to me, Wraith.” “you came back for me.” “i protect my investments.” (p220)

maybe Inej was right. maybe fate did bother with people like him. (p230)

he was the same Kaz — cold, rude, impossible— but beneath all that anger, she thought she’d seen something else, too. or maybe she was just a romantic. (p233)

“i loved your laugh, Nina. and your fierce warrior’s heart. i might have loved you, too.” (p251)

“fine. But if Pekka Rollins kills us all, i’m going to get Wylan’s ghost to teach my ghost how to play the flute just so that I can annoy the hell out of your ghost.” Brekker’s lips quirked. “i’ll just hire Matthias’ ghost to kick your ghost’s ass.” “my ghost won’t associate with your ghost,” (p259)

“he was afraid for you.” “Kaz isn’t afraid of anything.” “you should have seen his face when he brought you to me.” (p264)

“i know some people don’t understand, but Kaz told me… he said it was my choice, that he wouldn’t be the one to mark me again.” (p266)

“you’re too good for him, you know.” “i know. so are you.” (p282-283)

“you know i can do it, Kaz, and you know i’m not going to refuse. so why ask?” because i’ve been looking for an excuse to talk to you for two days. (p285)

“i’ll get us out. you know that.” tell me you know that. he needed her to say it. // he needed to know she believed in him. (p286-287)

“i don’t want your prayers,” he said. “what do you want, then?” // you, Inej. you. (p288)

“it’s not natural for women to fight.” “it’s not natural for someone to be as stupid as he is tall, and yet you stand.” (p322)

Kaz was right about one thing at least. she and Matthias had finally found something to agree on. (p358)

Inej felt like she and Kaz had become twin soldiers, marching on, pretending they were fine, hiding their wounds and bruises from the rest of the crew. (p360)

it was because she was listening so closely that she knew the exact moment when Kaz Brekker, Dirtyhands, the bastard of the Barrel and the deadliest boy in Ketterdam, fainted. (p382)

he hated that Inej had seen him this way, that anyone had, but on the heels of that thought came another: better it should be her. (p389-390)

“stop being dense. you’re cuter when you’re smart.” (p405)

“if it were a trick, i’d promise you safety. i'd offer you happiness. i don't know if that exists in the Barrel, but you’ll find none of it with me.” // better terrible truths than kind lies. (p433)

it was as if once Kaz had seen her, he’d understood how to keep seeing her. (p433)

“i feel sorry for you, Brekker. there is nothing sacred in your life.” there was a long pause, and then Kaz said, “you’re wrong.” (p482)

there was no part of him that was not broken, that had not healed wrong, and there was no part of him that was not stronger for having been broken. (p561)

the harbour wind had lifted her dark hair, and for a moment Kaz was a boy again, sure that there was magic in this world. (p562)

she’d laughed, and if he could have bottled the sound and gotten drunk on it every night, he would have. it terrified him. (p562)

that she was lovely and brave and better than anything he deserved. that he was twisted, crooked, wrong, but not so broken that he couldn’t pull himself together into some semblance of a man for her. that without meaning to, he’d began to lean on her, to look for her, to need her near. he needed to thank her for his new hat. (p563) (this whole paragraph *sobs*)

“... i can hear the change in Kaz’s breathing when he looks at you.” “you… you can?” “it catches every time, like he’s never seen you before.” (p598)

Inej turned to go. Kaz seized her hand, keeping it on the railing. he didn’t look at her. “stay,” he said, his voice rough stone. “stay in Ketterdam. stay with me.” (p603)

he took a breath. “i want you to stay. i want you to… i want you.” (p603)

“i will have you without armor, Kaz Brekker. or i will not have you at all.” (p604)

speak, she begged silently. give me a reason to stay. for all his selfishness and cruelty, Kaz was still the boy who had saved her. she wanted to believe he was worth saving, too. (p604)

“stay,” she panted. tears leaked from her eyes. “stay till the end.” “and after,” he said. “and always.” // “Nina,” he whispered, “little red bird. don’t go.” (p607)

Kaz knew the instant he made his mistake. they’d all known it might come to this. he should have trusted his crew. his eyes should have stayed trained on Van Eck. instead, in that moment of threat, when he should have thought only of the fight, he looked at Inej. // Inej can fend for herself. she’s a pawn, not the prize. but he was already turning, already sprinting to get to her as the Grisha attacked. (p627)

i’m going to get my money, Kaz vowed. and i’m going to get my girl. Inej could never be his, not really, but he would find a way to give her the freedom he’d promised her so long ago. (p635)

[kaz-brekker-is-autistic]

Crooked Kingdom Quotes that stuck out to me

There are no good men in Ketterdam. The climate doesn’t agree with them.

But it was possible Ketterdam would not survive Kaz Brekker

I’m pragmatic. If I were cruel, I’d give him a eulogy instead of a conversation.

You are forsaken. As you have turned tour back on me, so will they turn their backs on you.

Noon tomorrow. Goedmedbridge. With her knives.

Always hit where the mark isn’t looking

She’s like a dessert hoarding dragon

I suspect he caught a bad case of the wraith

You’ve got the devil’s own blood in you, boy.

I would have come for you. And if I couldn’t walk, I’d crawl to you, no matter how broken were, we’d fight our way out together —knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because thats what we do. We never stop fighting.

No more. Matthias remains free and we continue this conversation in a language we all understand. He has a right to know what’s going on

Corpslights

Its shame that lines my pockets, shame that keep the Barrel teeming with fools ready to put ok a mask just so they can have what they want with no one the wiser for it. We can endure all kinds of pain. It’s shame that eats men whole.

Our work is death. And it is holy

Innocence was a luxury and Inej did not believe her saints demanded it.

I can read to him

I am the Wraith, Rollins. Do you think bars can stop me?

The problem was that the creatures who had managed to survive the city he made were a new king of misery entirely—Brekker, his Wraith queen, his rotten little court of thugs. A fearless breed, hard-eyed and feral, hungrier for vengeance than gold.

[manikas-whims]

A Tantalizing Surprise

[Read on AO3]

for Kanej Week (@kanejweek) Day 5: Love (domesticity)

It took around eight years and a lot of mutual support to achieve this level of intimacy. But he was glad they never gave up..

• Friend 1: write Inej in a silk dress and some sexy Kanej moment Friend 2: No! Write injured Kaz being patched up by Inej Me: *an unbiased friend* mixes both requests into this fic ~♥ • I headcanon Liddies being a gang run by women :)

Kaz Brekker utterly despised private parleys. Majority of the time they were a farce. Excuses crafted in order to get him alone and put an end to his reign forever. Everytime a haughty barrel boss offered him a drink or a condescending mercher invited him for dinner, it wasn't for the sake of striking amiable business deals with him. But to drive a knife through his rotten heart or shoot a bullet into that scheming head of his.

And yet he had agreed to meet the leader of the Liddies in a small coffee house on the bustling streets of the East Stave. They were stirring up too much ruckus and if left unchecked any longer, they'd embolden every other gang to go against the Dregs. Dirtyhands couldn't let that happen, now could he?

As suspected, no pleasantries were exchanged. The door was jammed shut immediately upon his arrival.

Their lieutenant, a burly, middle-aged brunette, attacked first. She tried smashing her wooden bat into his face but thankfully Anika blocked in time with a crowbar. Two other females followed, swinging rustic metal pipes at him which he managed to counter with his cane. Roeder was struggling on the other side, engaged in a one-on-one with their spider.

"This ends tonight, Brekker." Their leader howled from her perch atop a stool. "Barrel needs a queen."

"Barrel already has one." He responded calmly.

"The little whore? The one who's barely in this city?" she grinned sharply, getting up.

"Careful." His gaze turned steely and his gloved fingers flexed tensely onto the crow head of his cane. "I can gut you and your ladies for insulting my Wraith."

"I'd like to see you try." She sneered, madly lunging at him with her bare hands.

He sighed. This was going to be a long night.

The fight lasted for an hour. Liddies finally ran off when more Dregs arrived on the scene and broke down the coffee house's door.

Kaz dictated his gang to double the security around the Crow Club and his other establishments just in case. He then dug his fingers into his right leg in hopes of quelling a little of the ache there as he dragged himself back to his place. Not the slat anymore but a luxurious mansion on the Geldstraat. He had purchased it under a pseudonym after Councilman Hoede had passed away three years ago.

Blame Wylan for making him waste his kruge on a deadman's house. Though the dark wood walls and coffered ceilings looked amazing upon his first visit, he did get a few things renovated. Such as converting the dilapidated Grisha workshop into an ordinary shed and the addition of wild geraniums to the vast variety of flowering plants in the gardens.

Despite his habits, he pulled out a key that he kept within the hidden pocket on the left side of his coat and swiftly unlocked the large, black, entrance gates. The next few minutes of the long walk through the front stone pavement didn't feel regal, atleast not to his leg. He retrieved another key upon reaching the main doors. It was an odd experience every time— to enter a house this big without utilizing his skills in lock-picking.

He didn't stop to admire the blown glass chandeliers hanging from the ceiling or the stolen DeKappel displayed mockingly on the opposite end of the hall. He simply braced himself for the walk up the long staircase leading towards the more private quarters of the mansion.

His steps came to a halt only when he reached the master bedroom. And that too, not because it had been his destination all along but because he felt her presence.

He shook his head in disbelief. Maybe six months of being apart were taking a toll on him, playing tricks with his senses. Or maybe it was just an effect of blood loss due to the cut he'd taken during the fight with the Liddies.

He turned the knob and entered, the room same as ever. A bookshelf tucked in the left corner from the door, a vanity table with a full-length mirror right next to it; a door leading to the balcony and another door to the bathroom on the other end. And of course, the king-size bed atop which his eyes found her tantalizing form, aglow under the golden flame of the dimly burning lone candle.

Kaz regarded her silently. Her lithe frame was covered in a purple, silk nightgown that left barely anything to his imagination. Or rather, it was exactly the sight he envisioned every night. An ideal reverie where he pulled her onto his lap and kissed down the delicious curve of her neck. A fantasy where he relished in her whispers of his name. A fantasy where they did all the unholy things they're capable of now. A fantasy he had been yearning for yet kept locked in the darkest recesses of his twisted mind.

But this was different. This woman in his bed had longer hair and was far more breathtaking than any imagery he could will his mind to conjure. This was real. She was real.

"Saints!" She slid off the bed. "Kaz, what happened?"

Yes, she was real.

And she had chosen an interesting outfit for their reunion.

But it was unusual of her to dock in Ketterdam and not send a runner to let him know. Not to mention, she had somehow managed to sneak into their mansion without any keys.

"You're hurt!"

He scoffed at her concern and proceeded to discard his coat. After all the times they've fought and bled together, she should be used to witnessing him a little roughed up.

He peeled off his gloves with methodical ease and tossed them onto the table. Then he tentatively reached for one of her hands, his thumb stroking along the pulse in her wrist. There was no harm in confirming she was real and alive.

"Welcome back, Wraith."

She freed her wrist, completely ignoring his greeting, and placed her palms over his stubbled cheeks. Fortunately, no waves lapped up his skin. So he let her turn his face this way and that to check for any signs of injuries. When she found none, she smiled in relief and pulled his face down so their lips could meet. His arms immediately snaked around her waist. And he was glad her only reaction was a soft sound of contentment, not tensing or vanishing in his hold. It took around eight years and a lot of mutual support to achieve this level of intimacy. But he was glad they never gave up and worked together to get accustomed to one another's touch.

The contact overwhelmed him everytime, in a good way of course. It was exhilarating to be able to brush his lips against hers. A common gesture for most couples but a very big accomplishment for them. Just like everything else.

Everytime they shed a piece of their armor, touched longer, touched more, they counted it as a new milestone. He was thankful to their patience and to whichever of Inej's saints had blessed them for their persistent efforts.

The kiss deepened with every passing moment, all those months of separation provoking their dormant desires. But as soon as his tongue slid past her mouth, he felt a twinge of pain in his abdomen and broke away. "Fuck! What the hell, Wraith!?"

In trailing her hands along his torso, she had accidentally discovered the cut wound on the left side of his lower abdomen. She glared down at the small dot of blood staining his clothes. "You have absolutely no sense of self-preservation!"

He laughed at the furrow of her brows as she pushed him back until he was seated in a chair. "Takes one to know one."

He heard her huff before she disappeared inside the bathroom and returned seconds later with a roll of bandage, cotton swabs, and a disinfectant.

The blade of the knife had torn past both his vest and shirt but fortunately, barely grazed his skin. The cut wasn't deep or life-threatening, only seeping slow trickles of blood. However, that didn't stop his fiercely gentle partner from worrying. She began undoing the buttons on his vest and in the heat of the moment, he joked. "Someone is eager."

This time she glared at him directly and resumed her task. She was cautious in shrugging off the vest. Even more whilst removing his sweaty shirt.

As soon as the disinfectant-soaked cotton pad grazed his wound, he pressed his lips into a thin line. "Care to explain why I wasn't informed of your arrival?" He gritted out through the light haze of pain. He wasn't mad. But had he known, he would've cleared his schedule for her. Denied that parlay altogether and avoided being injured.

Her hands hesitated in cleaning the blood. "I wanted to surprise you."

Now his brows quirked.

"And was this part of the surprise?" He stared at the thin slip of nightdress snug on the curves of her beautiful body. His voice lowered an octave. "You put this on for me?"

She chewed on her bottom lip, a small action he had noticed her doing when in contemplation. "My intention was to doll-up for the King of the Barrel."

He shook his head, tugging on the hem of her dress. "Seems to me the Queen of the Seas was intent on arousing me with her alluring silks."

She punched his shoulder lightly. "You're bruised and bleeding and this is what you think?"

"Inej," He spoke earnestly, his ardent gaze focused on her as she continued bandaging him, "I always think about you."

"Aside from when I'm out there making money." He added as an afterthought.

She giggled.

He waited until she was done tying the last knot of the bandage to stand up. His fingers disappeared beneath her dress, glided tenderly over the flesh of her thighs in the moment he lifted her up. Her legs naturally came to wrap around his waist and she looked at him. "Kaz?"

He responded with a soft, lingering kiss before pulling back, his breath fanning her lips. "Still in the mood to surprise me?"

She nodded, her eyes averted shyly for once as he carried her towards the shower.

[notyetbulletproof]

If what Nikolai discussed in ROW is true then it stands to reason that this might be the longest Inej has been away from Ketterdam since she first set sail with The Wraith. Or rather the longest The Wraith (the ship along with it’s captain and crew) have been away from Ketterdam.

Since Kerch officials don’t know for sure it’s Inej, she and her crew members could still be secretly coming in and out. I personally think she did and is in correspondence with Kaz. I truly believe it’s her mission (not just a job) and he’s her spy now, her man on the inside. However, I do think this might be the longest she’s been away. The longest she’s been gone without seeing all of them. To protect herself from being identified as the captain of the Wraith. The Captain who is upsetting the pockets of those who profit from enslaving people young and old - corrupt merchers, politicians and barrel bosses. Since money talks in Kerch, more than anything else, anything that upsets that would upset them.

And Kaz, Jesper and Wylan along with other in the know Dregs adopt the stance of “Inej who? Never heard of such a person? The Wraith is a legend. I wonder who she is?”. And it works with most people because of the persona Inej had before she left Ketterdam. The Wraith/The Wraith Queen. They might KNOW it’s her but they might not know her name and hence cannot directly connect the dots. Also given her skills, most of them never saw her face.

The dregs know it but it’s unclear if all the others do since most of the other Barrel peeps call her The Wraith. I’m not saying they won’t know, I’m saying that it’s a thin veil of protection. Which could also explain why she’s staying away. To protect Kaz, Jesper and Wylan. To protect the Dregs and anyone in association with her. And they keep up the ruse to protect her.

Now while I might not know much about Nikolai, what I do know— it’s clear he would have already figured this out. He’s seen Inej (possibly) when she went to the embassy in CK and at the very least heard about her. He’s also been one to hide behind a false identity to do the work he needed to do and kept it going even after he took his position as King. So I feel he would know about concealing identities AND would have contacts in various places that could inform him about The Wraith. He also would know Kaz was aided by The Wraith and also helped find the Ghafas. So really, that’s that.

I do feel Kaz’s line is practiced. Never reveal anything, instead learn what the other knows.

I also think what Kaz says to Nikolai about “this is the problem with letting your enemies live” is quite telling. It’s ironic because it’s essentially what Kaz did so it could be about that (unlikely of course given what Inej did to ensure Pekka said bye bye bye) but I like to think it’s linked to what’s happening with Inej. Now ya yes, call me out, I haven’t read Nikolai’s duology so clearly I am missing alot. I did however read the chapters of ROW that featured the crows in it so when I read that line I kept thinking of what Nikolai had said about when the Wraith was last seen and why people were trying to find her.

She didn’t kill all her enemies. Death is too easy. She, like Kaz, chooses to destroy the big fishes brick by brick. Destroy them, break them, make it last. Set an example. Seek justice your way because no else is gonna get it for you. You and all those you fight for. However, in doing so, sometimes those damn assholes come back to make life difficult. They regroup and strike again. So really sometimes, you should let your enemies die.

That’s basically what I have been thinking about. That and Jesper’s line about “if Inej were here..” and Kaz saying “you can keep saying that but she isn’t…. The best we can do is wait”. They know their crew functions better with her but they all have jobs to do and they can’t always be there to help each other out. Yet they will. They think about each other. They think about how to work the problem. They protect each other whether they’re physically together or not. I mean that’s why they’re all on this job right??

That coupled with the fact that Kaz already was 5 steps ahead knowing about the Suli, about Zoya and then the line about “the Suli never forget their own… just like crows”. (I know that was more about Zoya than anything and i’m not trying to take that away from her, just thinking about what prompts Kaz’s response) AND of course, let’s not forget the reason he even agreed to help them get what they needed was to get the device to help Inej…

ITS JUST..

LISTEN. LISTEN LINDAAA. I’m telling ya.

I’ve lost the purpose of this again. I got lost in thinking about Kanej and when they’ll be able to see/hear from each other again. Probably when Kaz gets that device to Inej.

Gosh. I really need that third book and I need it to be nice to us.

[southslates]

she smiled then, her cheeks red, her cheeks scattered with some kind of dust. it was a smile he thought he might die to earn again. it was because she was listening so closely that she knew the exact moment when kaz brekker, dirtyhands, the bastard of the barrel and deadliest boy in ketterdam, fainted. he'd told her they would fight their way out. knives drawn, pistols blazing. because that's what we do. she would fight for him, but she could not heal him. she would not waste her life trying. you want me. she turned the words over. gently, she squeezed his hand. and how will you have me, kaz? he looked at her then, eyes fierce, mouth set. it was the face he wore when he was fighting. how will you have me? she repeated. fully clothed, gloves on, your head turned away so our lips can never touch? if it were a trick, i'd promise you safety. i'd offer you happiness. i don’t know if that exists in the barrel, but you’ll find none of it with me. though he’d trusted her with his life countless times, it felt much more frightening to trust her with his shame. we'll be kings and queens, inej. kings and queens. you came back for me. i protect my investments. investments. but all he could think of was inej. she had to live. she had to have made it out of the ice court. and if she hadn't, then he had to live to rescue her. i’m glad i'm bleeding all over your shirt. she’d often wished to chip away a bit of his arrogance, but she couldn’t bear the idea of seeing kaz stripped of his pride. one minute he made her blush and the next he made her want to commit murder. thoughts of moonlight and silken hair evaporated in a black bolt of fury. kaz saw inej tug on the sleeve of her left forearm, where the menagerie tattoo had once been. he had the barest inkling of what she'd endured there, but he knew what it was to feel helpless, and van eck had managed to make her feel that way again. kaz was going to have to find a new language of suffering to teach that smug merch son of a bitch. what do you want, then? he nodded to her right forearm, not trusting himself to speak. his gloves lay on the other side of the basin, black against the gold-veined marble. they looked like dead animals. he focused on the shears, cold metal in his hands, nothing like skin. he could not do this if his hands were shaking. i can best this, he told himself. the old answers came easily to mind. money. vengeance. jordie's voice in my head silenced forever. but a different reply roared to life inside him, loud, insistent, and unwelcome. you, inej. you. stay, he said, his voice rough stone. stay in ketterdam. stay with me. she looked down at his gloved hand clutching hers. everything in her wanted to say yes, but she would not settle for so little, not after all she’d been through. what would be the point? he took a breath. i want you to stay. i want you to … i want you. i need someone who can be invisible, who can become a ghost. do you think you can do that? so why ask? because i've been looking for an excuse to talk to you for two days. i would have come for you. one of his hands balanced on his cane. the other rested at his side next to her. she’d need only move the smallest amount and they would be touching. he was that close. he was that far from reach. and if i could't walk, i'd crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we'd fight our way out together - knives drawn, pistols blazing. because that's what we do. his actions were smooth, precise, as if he were dealing cards at the crow club or picking an easy lock, but his rage felt hot and mad and unfamiliar. and what god do you serve, then? whichever will grant me good fortune. i don’t think gods work that way. i don’t think i care. those were my mother's favorite flower. good to know van eck didn't cure you of sentiment. nice to be back, kaz. good to have you back, wraith. to his left, he heard inej laugh behind her mask. he'd never heard her laugh like that, giddy and wild. he didn't mean to say it. he meant to let her go. i can help you. the silence between them was dark water. he could not cross it. that boy had betrayed his weakness in a single glance, had ceded the war for the sake of a single battle, and put inej - all of them - in danger. his greatest vulnerability had been right beside him. and now she was gone. he couldn't walk the line between the decency she deserved and the violence this path demanded. if he tried, it might get them both killed. he could only be who he truly was - a boy who had no comfort to offer. so he would give her what he could. something within him had torn loose. we never stop fighting. speak, she begged silently. give me a reason to stay. for all his selfishness and cruelty, kaz was still the boy who had saved her. curse you and all your saints, he said to no one at all, then realized he was smiling. she wanted to believe he was worth saving, too. she would have her ship and he would have his city. wait, he said. the burn of his voice was rougher than usual. is my tie straight? inej laughed, her hood falling back from her hair. that’s the laugh, he murmured, but she was already setting off down the quay, her feet barely touching the ground. i would come for you, he said, and when he saw the wary look she shot him, he said it again. just this minute, i'll settle for an apology, she decided. and i wont' board the boat without one. even if kaz isn't sorry, he can pretend. he at least owes me his best imitation of a human being. kaz shrugged, unwilling to give her an answer. inej was always trying to wring little bits of decency from him. i can hear the change in kaz's breathing when he looks at you. it catches every time, like he's never seen you before. he needed to know that she believed he could do this. he needed to know she believed in him. the ache in his lungs was unbearable. he needed to tell her... what? that she was lovely and brave and better than anything he deserved. that he was twisted, crooked, wrong, but not so broken that he couldn't pull himself together into some semblance of a man for her. that without meaning to, he'd begun to lean on her, to look for her, to need her near. he needed to thank her for his new hat. she'd laughed and if he could have bottled the sound and got drunk on it every night, he would have. it terrified him. now she remembered. he owed her an apology. say you're sorry. for what? just say it. yes, thought kaz without hesitation. there's one person i would trust. one person i know who would never use my weaknesses against me. kaz had taught her to crack a safe, pick a pocket, wield a knife. he'd gifted her with her first blade, the one she called sankt petyr - not as pretty as wild geraniums, but more practical, she supposed. and i'm going to get my girl. it was as if once kaz had seen her, he’d understood how to keep seeing her. his eyes blurred. it isn't easy for me either. her voice, low and steady, the voice that had once led him back from hell. she felt his knuckles slide against hers. then his hand was in her hand, his palm was pressed against her own. a tremor moved through him. slowly, he let their fingers entwine. for a long while, they stood there, hands clasped, looking out at the gray expanse of the sea. 

go on, she repeated. finish the story.

[aelingalathyniusrailme]

so I totally didn’t know that it was six of crows appreciation week so I’m going to do all of the prompts today:

day 3: quotes

Many boys will bring you flowers. But someday you'll meet a boy who will learn your favorite flower, your favorite song, your favorite sweet. And even if he is too poor to give you any of them, it won't matter because he will have taken the time to know you as no one else does. Only that boy earns your heart.

kaz knowing her favorite flowers

Kaz leaned back. "What's the easiest way to steal a man's wallet?"

"Knife to the throat?" asked Inej.

"Gun to the back?" said Jesper.

"Poison in his cup?" suggested Nina.

"You're all horrible," said Matthias.

iconic

I will have you without armor, Kaz Brekker. or I will not have you at all.

why don’t you just murder me

It's not natural for women to fight."

"It's not natural for someone to be as stupid as he is tall, and yet there you stand.

nina being nina is my favorite nina (that made sense)

She'd laughed, and if he could have bottled the sound and gotten drunk on it every night, he would have. It terrified him.

yes I will post every kanej quote possible leave me alone

The water hears and understands. The ice does not forgive

chills every fucking time

He needed to tell her...what? That she was lovely and brave and better than anything he deserved. That he was twisted, crooked, wrong, but not so broken that he couldn't pull himself together into some semblance of a man for her. That without meaning to, he'd begun to lean on her, to look for her, to need her near. He needed to thank her for his new hat.

it is impossible for me to get tired of them

I have been made to protect you. Only in death will I be kept from this oath

helnik things

Please, my darling Inej, treasure of my heart, won’t you do me the honor of acquiring me a new hat?

😌 😌

I can hear the change in Kaz's breathing when he looks at you."

"You... you can?"

"It catches every time, like he's never seen you before.

if I die because of how much I love them I wouldn’t be surprised

“Nina,” he whispered, “little red bird. Don’t go.

damn I did not feel like crying today

Scheming face,” Inej murmured.

jesper nodded. “definitely”

best friendship

You, Inej. You.

😭😭😭😭

Besides, she was the Wraith – the only law that applied to her was gravity, and some days she defied that, too.

that’s my girl

A gambler, a convict, a wayward son, a lost Grisha, a Suli girl who had become a killer, a boy from the Barrel who had become something worse.

otherwise known as my crow babies

I’m going to get my money, Kaz vowed. And i’m going to get my girl.

I will put every fucking kanej quote

Always hit where the mark isn't looking"

"Who's Mark?" asked Wylan.

oh wylan

Wylan said, “Just girls?”

Jesper restrained a grin. “No. Not just girls.

reading this I was literally jumping out the window with excitement

Brick by brick, I will destroy you.

kaz you can destroy me any day

We'll be Kings and Queens, Inej. Kings and Queens

obviously we’re ending with kanej 🙄 but seriously I missed so many iconic ones and this was just from soc