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valentinedaughtler · 11 months

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Tainted Opal (Part 6)

Kaz Brekker x fem!reader

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

T/Ws: violence, romantic feelings, blood, mild spice scenes sometimes, fem!reader and she/her pronouns, sexual abuse/trauma (not explicit)

Synopsis: Your boat has been docked in Fjerda and you forgot your coat…. (But Kaz has a coat…👀)

REQUESTS: OPEN✅

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6 - Kaz Brekker Always Had a Reason

The ship was docked on the west coast of Fjerda, frozen plains stretches over the horizon into a snowy oblivion. The ocean was deeply frigid, an innocent plunge would send you to a numbing death.

Everyone, except prepared Matthias, was painfully underdressed. Jesper reminded us all frequently through whiney griping. We teased him about it, saying his fancy hats would not even be able to warm him up. My social circle included all the Crows, but I lingered longer around Inej and Nina. We all seemed to feel a feminine connection to one another; an easy group to complain about the boys' nonsense to.

As Nina and I shivered, we huddled near one another, the long trek around the Fold just beginning. Matthias held Nina close, insuring that she would be warm, despite her heartrender abilities.

Eventually, Nina moved between the cold Crows, circulating their blood into a more rapid speed to keep their temperatures up. Thus, I was left with the massive Fjerdan man. I'd seduced many men, but only a few looked like they could snap me in half like a twig for a fire like he did.

"Do you miss Fjerda?" I asked with an inquisitive tilt of the head. Matthias's face contorted slightly, his jaw shifting and eyebrows stitching together. He stayed silent for a moment before sighing,

"I do miss my people in some ways, but sometimes you find a person who changes your values...," he replied with a thick accent. It was sharp and pronounced, I had a feeling if he yelled at you it would feel like a brick to the face. I nodded as he watched Nina. "Do you miss your life before Ketterdam swallowed it up?"

"No-...," I tried to articulate how I felt about my past, but I guess I wasn't too sure. "I miss the specifics, the small details. Though, when I think about the big picture, I don't miss any of it." I let out a shivered breath before speaking again, "I don't want to think back fondly on what my life had been, trying to write an edited version with only the good plot points. It's easier to not think about it at all, no story is better than a bad one, don't you think?" I craned my neck to look at Matthias's eyes, they looked harsh and painful, but maybe they were pained instead.

"I think you should just keep writing the story," he acknowledged my thought with a nod. "Maybe find new characters to add to it rather than making it a one-man narration." I laughed softly, an unexpected response from him.

"Nina seems to be a good influence on you," smirking at him with a knowing glint in my eye. He really loves her, I thought as I made my way to the heartrender herself. "Nina!" I waddled my way across the tundra to her and Kaz. She seemed a bit exasperated as the dark haired boy begrudgingly allowed her to use her small science on him.

"Y/n, can you tell him that I will not be stopping his heartbeat?" She huffed as Kaz squirmed away from her slightly.

"That's enough," he said, but I heard his teeth chatter a bit through that gravely voice. I laughed, asking Nina to warm me up instead. She excitedly obliged, leaving Kaz to sulk in peace.

She began to chuckle to herself as she contorted her soft fingers to work her 'majik'.

"What is it?" I inquired with growing curiosity. She turned to me with a suggestive smile and a wink.

"Kaz was watching you, earlier, when you were taking to Matthias." Her grin widened, showing her pearly, white teeth. My cheeks burned when the meaning behind her words clicked in my brain. She continued, "I may have called him out on such. He got real defense," she dragged out her words with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"He's always defensive. He's basically a human defense system; a wall." I said, attempting to use logic. He barely knew me, unless we had met somewhere before, Kaz wouldn't trust me this early on, I knew that much.

"Well, yes, but you did pay upfront, he doesn't really need you alive, so..." Nina batted her eyelashes at me, mimicking a lovestruck girl. I flushed as I looked back at Kaz, limping a few feet behind us, when he met my gaze I spun back around, tensing up. Nina leaned close to my ear, "you're blushing... and I can tell your heartbeat has fluctuated frequently when he is near you-"

"Okayy, thank you, my darling, Nina, but I should really be going-,"

"You should be discussing plans with me since we are getting closer to the main path," rasped Kaz from behind me. I stifled a startled scream. Geez, what's with me? I'm never actually flustered around people and I've... been in intimate situations during heists many a time. Nina flashed me a smile and a wink before leaving Kaz and I alone. I sighed with relief as I know her torment would be at bay, for now.

"When we get to the trail's end, we should find shelter for the night, there are abandoned cabins all over Fjerda. That's what my dad told me, atleast," my voice was still a bit shakey as I tried to slow my heart rate down. Kaz nodded.

"It's the safest gamble to set up camp at the first cabin we see that doesn't have occupants in it," his tone was somehow more formal than it generally was, his body seemed tense. Had he heard what Nina had said? I looked at the cheery woman far up ahead, her bubbly laugh echoing across the frozen wasteland we trekked.

I walked with Kaz in silence, maintaining a couple feet of distance between us, I wasn't sure why, but I felt that if I touched him that he might snap. Whether that indicated him imploding or killing me, I wasn't sure. But I respected his need for space. I felt like I yearned to be alone often, since intimate touch was an important part of my job. It often wasn't by people I wanted to touch me too. Maybe it bothered me because I was so young, but no one in Ketterdam stayed young. Instead of a slow climb to adulthood, it was a drowning process. Before, you were something, but after you plunged up for air, you weren't much anymore.

A gust of wind blew hair into my face and sent a shiver throughout my body, like hitting a metal drum and watching it vibrate. Kaz seemed to suppress the chill he felt, huffing slightly as the wind blew towards us.

"Why didn't you bring a jacket?" Kaz grumbled, his glare colder than the snow melting in my boots. "Your chattering teeth is starting to irritate me."

"I originally thought we'd be headed through Shu Han," I said through long breaths. I suddenly felt a thick jacket be placed.., no, more so dropped onto my shoulders. I turned to the Crow beside me, who refused to meet my gaze. With a breathy laugh, I slipped my arms into the jacket. It was soft and warm, but oversized on me. I dug my chilly hands into the lined pockets. "Thank you."

Kaz stayed silent, but I could tell he was cold in only his shirt and vest. "We need you in good health. The Crows, especially Matthias, need your tailoring skills to disguise us. I assume your business partner also knows of me, so that would be a problem." He explained, as if justifying his decision to himself.

We eventually reached a fork in the road, both paths leading to long, winding expanses of lifeless tundra. I indicated the correct road, but as we made our way, we saw a small shack.

The skeleton of the building was stacked logs and eroded wood was sparsticslly laying in chunks near the house. The inside had creaky wooden floors, a small kitchen area and bed rested on opposing sides. Fur hanging from the walls, for decor and warmth probably, a small fire place, and a couch were the only other things of note in the barren room.

"Oh, it reminds me of how Matthias and I had spent our first night together," Nina purred with a silly smile.

"Wylan and I are too fancy to sleep on the floor," Jesper said while sprawling out on the make-shift mattress. No one objected, but Matthias and Nina called the couch. Us single three left mutually decided we were on our own for sleeping areas.

"There's enough fur for the rest of us to just sleep on the floor separately," Inej pointed out, "but I'm okay sharing with Y/n if there is a shortage of blankets." She smiled at me and squeezed my hand. I returned her sentiment by promising to braid her hair later.

Jesper's eyes wandered around the room in observation, eventually landing on jacket-less Kaz and my body that was swallowed by said-jacket. His lips crooked into a sly grin.

"Nice jacket, Y/n," Jesper said and his eyes landed on the coat's owner, who froze.

"I'm going to collect firewood," Kaz grumbled and made his way outside the cabin quite quickly.

"I'll be right with ya', boss!" Jesper shot up from the bed and jogged after Kaz, his giggling and teasing still audible.

"Should we leave them alone in the woods?" Nina asked, "Kaz may kill the poor boy." Everyone laughed a bit, knowing looks shared between everyone besides me. I've been too casual, I've grown too close to them. Maybe... I should stay away from Kaz a bit since we aren't trapped on a boat together any longer.

✵ ♣ ✵

"He gave you his jacket?" Inej repeated the words I just spewed out nervously. I nodded in response as she turned to look at me with shock.

We sat together on the roof, which was very difficult for for me to get up to after Inej did so with grace. Stealth was not my thing. She sat in front of my crossed legs, leaning on me slightly, as I braided her hair ornately. The repetitive motions soothed me as I felt the pressure of the coming heist. "The last couple nights on the boat we've both gotten nightmares from too much time on the sea," I explained. "We've been talking from late to early, until the sunrises, or just sitting in silence."

Inej giggled a bit, I felt her shake against me as the laugh vibrated through her. "He doesn't grow fond of people quickly, I can't be sure, but I want you to stay with us after the heist," Inej said softly.

I hummed in response, "we'll see. Even if we part ways, I'll stay in touch with you and Nina." I couldn't see her face, but I could tell Inej was smiling.

We both looked down to see a babbling Jesper walking next to an exhausted looking Kaz. Inej turned to me as I had just finished braiding her long hair. Her lips were crooked into a michevious grin.

"Let's scare them," she whispered softly. I was pretty sure Kaz would have seen us by now, knowing how observant he is, but the idea was too tempting. We slid behind the slant of the roof and Inej silently leaped to a nearby tree, her wire-y figure wrapping around the limbs on it, gripping the bark. She chucked a pinecone at Jesper, knocking the eccentric hat off of his head. He squeaked as he attempted to get the snow off of his hat. Inej disappeared behind the tree as the two boys looked up at the direction the pinecone came from. As I aimed to hit Kaz with a pinecone, I slipped slightly. His keen eyes landed on the roof, but not before I hid myself from his line of vision.

"Shit. Shit. Shit." I whispered, still wearing Kaz's coat. I stayed silent for a moment before hearing the crunching of boots in the snow. I quickly hurled the pinecone at Kaz's head, but he swung his cane, hitting the pinecone perfectly. He didn't even look up. Before I realized it, the pinecone was headed straight for me. He was aiming for me. I dodged it, but in the process my grip on the roof loosened, causing me to slide down the roof towards Jesper and Kaz. They looked up at the roof, and the sharpshooter leaped to catch me. I fell into his arms with a thud.

I smiled nervously, "hey guys..." Inej shimmied down the tree and quickly came to check on me. Jesper let me down, laughing the whole time, but Kaz had an indescribable expression on his face.

"I told you we can't have you dead," his tone was serious, my smile dropping abruptly. "Stick to what you're good at; making your presence known, Seductress." He admonished my actions as he walked inside with firewood in one hand, cane in the other. Why am I so foolish when I'm around him?

Inej followed after him, sternly explaining it was her idea. I felt a warmth in my heart as she defended me.

"Come, Y/n, let's talk," Jesper said. He had a pelt of fur draped over him, keeping him warmer. I followed him in the frosty woods behind the cabin. He smirked a bit as we made our way around trees and fallen logs, as well as other suffering vegetation.

"Is something wrong? Do you need relationship advice for Wylan?" I asked with a twinge of concern.

"Oh, no, no. It's about Kaz," his self-assured demeanor stayed strong as I attempted to keep pace with his long-limbed figure. "He's taken an unusual liking to you." He gestured to coat I was wearing.

"He was just being polite," I said, but even I had a hard time saying it without becoming skeptical.

Jesper snorted and shook his head, "Kaz isn't nice to for no reason, Y/n. Despite was people say, Kaz Brekker always has a reason."

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Word Count: 2344

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I realize this seems more like a fast paced romance, but don't worry, the girl falls first in this story. We'll get there...

-Valentine

#fanfic #inej ghafa #jesper fahey #kaz brekker #kaz brekker x reader #kaz brekker x y/n #kaz brekker x you #nina zenik #shadow and bone #six of crows #soc #grishaverse #matthias helvar #fjerda #wylan van eck #fem!reader #fem reader

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spacetimewithstuartgary · 1 month

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Oceans of water found on Mars

Using seismic activity to probe the interior of Mars, geophysicists have found evidence for a large underground reservoir of liquid water — enough to fill oceans on the planet's surface.

The data from NASA's Insight lander allowed the scientists to estimate that the amount of groundwater could cover the entire planet to a depth of between 1 and 2 kilometers, or about a mile.

While that’s good news for those tracking the fate of water on the planet after its oceans disappeared more than 3 billion years ago, the reservoir won't be of much use to anyone trying to tap into it to supply a future Mars colony. It's located in tiny cracks and pores in rock in the middle of the Martian crust, between 11.5 and 20 kilometers below the surface. Even on Earth, drilling a hole a kilometer deep is a challenge.

The finding does pinpoint another promising place to look for life on Mars, however, if the reservoir can be accessed. For the moment, it helps answer questions about the geological history of the planet.

“Understanding the Martian water cycle is critical for understanding the evolution of the climate, surface and interior,” said Vashan Wright, a former UC Berkeley postdoctoral fellow who is now an assistant professor at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “A useful starting point is to identify where water is and how much is there.”

Wright, alongside colleagues Michael Manga of UC Berkeley and Matthias Morzfeld of Scripps Oceanography, detailed their analysis in a paper that will appear this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The scientists employed a mathematical model of rock physics, identical to models used on Earth to map underground aquifers and oil fields, to conclude that the seismic data from Insight are best explained by a deep layer of fractured igneous rock saturated with liquid water. Igneous rocks are cooled hot magma, like the granite of the Sierra Nevada.

"Establishing that there is a big reservoir of liquid water provides some window into what the climate was like or could be like," said Manga, a UC Berkeley professor of earth and planetary science. "And water is necessary for life as we know it. I don't see why [the underground reservoir] is not a habitable environment. It's certainly true on Earth — deep, deep mines host life, the bottom of the ocean hosts life. We haven't found any evidence for life on Mars, but at least we have identified a place that should, in principle, be able to sustain life."

Manga was Wright's postdoctoral adviser. Morzfeld was a former postdoctoral fellow in UC Berkeley’s mathematics department and is now an associate professor of geophysics at Scripps Oceanography.

Manga noted that lots of evidence — river channels, deltas and lake deposits, as well as water-altered rock — supports the hypothesis that water once flowed on the planet's surface. But that wet period ended more than 3 billion years ago, after Mars lost its atmosphere. Planetary scientists on Earth have sent many probes and landers to the planet to find out what happened to that water — the water frozen in Mars' polar ice caps can't account for it all — as well as when it happened, and whether life exists or used to exist on the planet.

The new findings are an indication that much of the water did not escape into space but filtered down into the crust.

The Insight lander was sent by NASA to Mars in 2018 to investigate the crust, mantle, core and atmosphere, and it recorded invaluable information about Mars' interior before the mission ended in 2022.

"The mission greatly exceeded my expectations," Manga said. "From looking at all the seismic data that Insight collected, they've figured out the thickness of the crust, the depth of the core, the composition of the core, even a little bit about the temperature within the mantle."

Insight detected Mars quakes up to about a magnitude of 5, meteor impacts and rumblings from volcanic areas, all of which produced seismic waves that allowed geophysicists to probe the interior.

An earlier paper reported that above a depth of about 5 kilometers, the upper crust did not contain water ice, as Manga and others suspected. That may mean that there's little accessible frozen groundwater outside the polar regions.

The new paper analyzed the deeper crust and concluded that the "available data are best explained by a water-saturated mid-crust" below Insight’s location. Assuming the crust is similar throughout the planet, the team argued, there should be more water in this mid-crust zone than the "volumes proposed to have filled hypothesized ancient Martian oceans."

IMAGE: A cutout of the Martian interior beneath NASA's Insight lander. The top 5 kilometers of the crust appear to be dry, but a new study provides evidence for a zone of fractured rock 11.5-20 km below the surface that is full of liquid water — more than the volume proposed to have filled hypothesized ancient Martian oceans. Credit James Tuttle Keane and Aaron Rodriquez, courtesy of Scripps Institute of Oceanography

#science #space #astronomy #physics #news #nasa #astrophysics #esa #spacetimewithstuartgary #starstuff #spacetime #hubble space telescope #jwst

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biherbalwitch · 1 year

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Unsurprisingly, I'm not done talking about s&b s2, let's discuss the rage over "ignoring" inej's trauma (spoiler: it wasn't actually ignored) and why exploring it in the poison scene would've been a terrible idea

Inej’s story was hinted at several times (which is more than we've got with other characters in 2 seasons *cough* jesper *cough* matthias)

They did it in bits & pieces as much as they could, in s1 Inej almost willing to kill just so she doesn’t go back to the menagerie, in her telling jesper she learned to suture her own wounds there. In s2, we see those pieces hammered in a bit more, Inej’s scared when she says pekka owns everything the menagerie owns. The most difficult scene to watch being the one on the roof with the taxidermist. The second he puts her on the ground and gets on top of her she is frozen. She looks TERRIFIED. And I'm gonna quote amita here, we know inej's capable of getting out of his hold easily but the shock of being in that position with a man violating her space & body again, telling her he'll take her back to the menagerie and "take a piece" is enough to have her body lock up and she's almost helpless in the face of her ptsd (paralleling to Kaz’s reaction in shu han)

If the writers had used the poison hallucinations to go further into her backstory, it would've simply been too rushed and an insult to the depths of torture she went through. Think of the length of that entire scene & think of the length each of their visions got. I can't see how they could've delved deeper with her, put her in those silks, without coming up short or without completely ruining her mental state that it would've been difficult to move on with the current plot at hand. There's a reason the spinoff script has a whole episode dedicated to each crow, where they can comfortably explore the heavier themes of each of their lives with respect & what it means for the characters' journey.

Lastly I'd like to say the actual hallucination we got MADE SENSE. After their moment changing her wound and Kaz pushing her away, she would dream of this. She desires intimacy with Kaz. In her dream, he makes an effort. In her dream, he asks for her consent. In her dream, they are BOTH vulnerable, both without their armour.

Despite the trauma she still desires and that's an important part of her that shouldn't be overlooked. She's making an effort and wants him to make an effort, if only just to find out what it would be like to be touched without it feeling like a stab. If only to find out if she can handle it.

#sorry for the long post #the comments finally drove me to the edge #inej ghafa #soc inej #shadow and bone #s&b netflix #sab #six of crows #crooked kingdom #kaz brekker #six of crows inej #kaz x inej #trauma thoughts #media analysis #kanej #s&b

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marthefrozenfan · 2 months

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There's something that worries me a little about Frozen 2.

I would have liked to see Anna interact more with a Northuldra :((

In Frozen 2, I have seen Kristoff interact with Ryder, even Ryder was complicit in Kristoff's marriage proposal to Anna

I've seen Elsa interact with Honeymaren at a campfire and talking about the fifth spirit and a little later in the epilogue

Olaf was playing with some Northuldra children in the enchanted forest.

And where is Anna? She had just spoken to Honeymaren, but since then I have not seen any more interaction between Anna and a Northuldra, she has not interacted as much as Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf😞

From what I see they wanted to imply that Anna belongs to Arendelle, that's why she interacted a lot more with Matthias, a real Arendelle soldier who was trapped in the fog for years.

But it is so unfair and on the one hand somewhat xenophobic that we only saw Anna interact with Arendelians in the enchanted forest, Anna deserved to interact more with people from another region, from another culture and traditions and not just get stuck in Arendelle, Anna also deserved to interact more with Northuldra people🙃

#frozen #disney #frozen 2 #frozen anna #frozenanalisis

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greatqueenanna · 1 year

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I was looking through your blog and you mention a couple times how you would love to see Frozen remastered and it got me thinking. What if they released a director’s cut of both Frozen and Frozen 2? Maybe they release it as a way to say goodbye to Lee and give her and Chris Buck an opportunity to show their true vision for the films. If they ever did this, what would you love to see in a director’s cut versus of the films?

Uh oh anon, you found my special interest. I would love it if they announce that they're releasing a director's cut or special edition of the first two films. It would be the perfect thing to do for the Frozen 10th Anniversary and to keep interest in the films before F3 arrives. Honestly, this would excite me more than F3 itself haha.

For what I would like to see -

An animation upgrade for F1 - I'm not sure how far they could go with this, but even just upgrading the lighting to the new software they have been using since BH6 would be incredible. I doubt they could make F1 look like F2, not unless they literally built the film from the ground up - but again, I'm not an expert on the programs and processes used in animation.

New Scenes and Songs - Both F1 and F2 have room for improvement, and adding in new scenes and songs could really add the extra spark that each film needs to be closer to perfect (and just be fun overall). My personal suggestions would be -

F1 - I would love it if they added a Dangerous to Dream-like song and/or scene for Elsa - since many were complaining about Elsa just sort of disappearing after Let It Go before reappearing when Anna gets to the Ice Palace. We could get a bit more of how Elsa feels leaving Arendelle and her sister, putting an end to people making her out to be selfish in F1.

F1 - Adding a new scene for the parents. I would say this could fit between Anna seeing Elsa close her door with Agnarr narrating "Including Anna" and when Anna starts Do You Want to Build a Snowman? The scene could consist of Agnarr and Iduna actually discussing the choice to close the gates and their plans for Elsa, helping to give them more depth. This would be the perfect opportunity to bring in Alfred Molina and Even Rachel Wood to add their voices to F1 for continuity since they've been iconic as the parents since F2 (they literally did the narration for Dangerous Secrets).

F1 - Not a requirement but more of a fun idea - a villain song for Hans. Like, imagine if after he closes the door on Anna, we get a short, dark reprise of Love is an Open Door. Chills.

F1 - A duet between Anna and Kristoff or a solo song for Kristoff. Like, imagine if after Kristoff leaves Anna at the gate, we don't leave Kristoff immediately, and he actually talks about his feelings in a song, similar to Kristoff's Lullaby. Maybe, Anna as she's going into the castle to see Hans, she sings a short verse along with him.

F2 - Extending the story prologue a bit to show more scenes of Iduna and Agnarr as children. There were so many deleted scenes that were fully animated of these two, I'm sure they could squeeze a couple of them into the prologue.

F2 - Adding a scene and/or song similar to See the Sky. Showing more of the feelings and perspectives of the Northuldra would do wonders in terms of making them feel more alive in the story, and give an opportunity for both Anna and Elsa to experience their heritage, even a little bit.

F2 - Adding a scene of Anna and Elsa talking about their parents. A perfect part to place this would be after Iduna's Scarf/Veulie scene and right before they're in the camp talking to Honey/Matthias separately. After finding out that Iduna is Northuldra, we could see Anna and Elsa talking about that, leading to the secrets the parents kept when they were children, ending with them discussing their childhood in general. This would give more depth to the shipwreck scene when they see that their parents sacrificed themselves to fix things.

F2 - A duet between Elsa and Anna. A perfect spot for it? After the Infamous Boat scene. Yes. Imagine Anna and Elsa singing about their feelings after the fact while Elsa is walking to the shore and Anna is exploring the cave. They both express their frustration and end up apologizing to one another. Peak Perfection.

Bonus Content -

Including the Frozen Fever Short - Frozen Fever hasn't really had a release since the Cinderella live-action, and it's part of the Lee/Buck storyline, so adding it as a bonus would be awesome.

All of the Deleted Content - Not all scenes and songs are included on the old dvd's, and some of them aren't even the full versions. So, I would love it if they showed all of them and didn't cut them.

Something about the Musical - Maybe the cast talking about their experiences with Frozen or something? Or maybe some performances?

an F3 Sneak Peak - What's a way to entice people to buy the Director's cut? Include an F3 sneak peak.

What would you guys like to see in a special edition/director's cut? Comment or reblog your thoughts.

#frozen 2 #frozen #Frozen 10th Anniversary #greatqueenanna/responses

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scheminghotcoffee · 2 years

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In honor of the Shadow and Bone Season 2 teaser dropping, here's some dumb headcanons about Grishaverse characters (mostly the crows), including ideas of how they'd do in modern day:

- Wylan is generally an upstanding citizen post CK but never seems to notice the massive amounts of smuggled Jurda being secretly transported on his ships by the dregs

- Jesper becomes a lot more fond of his fabrikator abilities once he realizes that he can make his clothes even flashier and standout

- Kaz could absolutely solve a Rubik's cube in 12 seconds

- Inej has a knife engraved with a pattern of wild geraniums

- Nina would make Matthias watch Frozen with her and spend the whole time cackling at his expression

- Inej introduces Jesper to Suli fashion and now he wears a bunch of silk patterns, which delights Inej

- Kaz has way more Suli proverbs memorized than he would ever admit out loud

- Jesper's father and Inej's parents get along splendidly

- Alys and Bajon absolutely end up together

- Kaz is always aware of where Rollins is, and when he wants to disrupt his life a bit, he sends a letter to wherever Rollins is living

- Wylan and Nikolai keep in contact and talk about engineering together

- Inej's family meets Zoya and she visits them when they're in the area

- Nikolai makes pointless, overly complex inventions, like the ones in YouTube videos that go for 20 minutes just to knock something over and pour lemonade into a glass

- Zoya actively messes up Nikolai's hair with the wind, and he can tell when she's around from the change in air pressure

- Matthias would absolutely join Inej in feeding the crows, and Matthias named one after Trassel

- Zoya has a thermal travel cup like we have in modern day, because Nikolai didn't want her to be cold during long trips and decided to invent a solution

- Inej allows Kaz to braid her hair as a form of physical affection because it's less difficult than skin to skin contact

- Matthias is an excellent cook, only because he wanted to make Nina amazing waffles

- Wylan composes love songs for Jesper

- Wylan wears one of Jesper's jackets to a meeting with the merchant council and they are absolutely scandalized by the presence of color in his outfit

- Matthias and Inej occasionally pray together, even though they worship different deities

- Inej becoming basically a pirate has given Kaz so many new options to tease her with - "Are you going to make me walk the plank?" and such in his usual sarcastic tone.

- Zoya occasionally carries Nikolai around in dragon form and he absolutely loves it

Thank you for your time.

#crooked kingdom #six of crows #inej ghafa #kaz brekker #the crows #soc #jesper fahey #nina zenik #six of crows duology #wylan van eck #matthias helvar #king of scars #rule of wolves #nikolai lantsov #zoya nabri #zoya nazyalensky

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itlivesproject · 1 year

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Big long message coming from someone who binged the whole game in two days:

1. Whoever wrote the Abel route deserves to get all the good things in life. His bright and warm personality and natural quirkiness tugged at my heartstrings and I just knew I wanted my MC to stick by him. It's no wonder so many peeps loved his route-- he was super fleshed out and he takes a new spin on the nerd LI archetype. Not to mention, his past with his family is bittersweet, yet it was never used for shock value. It was evident how these experiences affected his character and how he interacts with others, and it never fails to radiate how genuine he is and how much reality was inspired in his making.

(Also that last sex with him was so detailed, raw, passionate, and personal. Everything is scorched on my front lobe and I will nevrr forget it.mE.A. James could never.)

I can feel the good writing for all routes and the whole narrative in general even if I didn't pick them as LIs. The talent of the writing team always oozes, and I can never stop reading. I might retry other routes and I will do that after recovering from the psychic damage I acquired crying and laughing with this story.

2. From what I've read on the net so far, the Mixed Ending was the most well-liked ending, but I beg to digress because I am selfish and delusional and I just want my MC to rest, ok? 😔 I personally favored the successful non-betrayal blood ending.

The consequences of the ending are much more direct than that of the mixed ending and at least it was easier to cope with it because MC still has their support group, but I just really love the closure it provided that my gen!MC (ironic, I know) stayed true to what she wanted, which was to continue the life that was frozen over since the incident. Shadow Ending is honestly the most selfless and poetic ending that gave me crippling depression and I loved its angst. The Mixed Ending was my least favorite because it was the most open-ended one, and I felt unsettled by it because I felt the least secure for my MC's future, esp with their LI. I still have to play through Matthias' route but it's really promising.

3. I can't help but have my curiosity piqued by how everything played out with a similar pattern to how colonisers always end up messing up and undoing the progress of indigenous people's learnings and practices, and their utter disrespect for nature which ultimately blows up in their face but unfortunately, it's those that try to save it that suffer the most. The subtle incorporation of this theme was the perfect piece that really tied together the past of all It Lives book. Loha and Matthias were the perfect characters to resemble this struggle.

What lingers in my mind, however, is that Loha and Matthias, as individuals, are the two sides of the same coin. Both characters have personal strong connections to the Power, have personal gains and goals for it, used, manipulated and forced people to assist them in their cause, and ultimately birthed a person that was meant to be the key to finish their mission.

Though it was true that what Loha did was for the common good vs. Matthias' hedonistic and self-centered purposes, I think Loha is no better than Matthias, (Sorry, guys. I know some of you might fight me.) and I think it is equally hypocritical of Loha to ask MC to lay down her life to heal the breach and feel disappointed when MC doesn't do as she says.

She shared herself how a wisp was so curious of life on Earth that this innocent venture eventually bloomed into all this, so she knew that to an extent, even if the Shadow Ending occurs, it might happen again so long as the Power has free will to choose and explore. Maybe that's why I like the Blood Ending so much, I don't see a point to all the MC's (esp. ILW) suffering so much when they are mortals constantly being tested by a higher power. I think it was best to share the labor for everyone to maintain than just place the burden on one person. (My MC worked her ass off to charm Abel's pants off I simply can't let her down 😔)

4. The team is so resourceful with reusing, mixing, and adding visual assets to the game. Seeing the familiar layout and mechanics such as reusing minor characters really established the familiar Choices foundation of the game, but the impressively added illustrations, wide array of sprite personalization, the unique and diverse character designs, and even the title screens was truly the marks that made this an excellent fanwork. It manages to really immerse the reader and I can never, ever get enough of it.

5. In relation to 4, the programming of the game is superb. There is sensible weight and effects to choices, LIs are equally balanced and don't overpower the narrative, the godsent SAVES, the carefully considered rewards and consequences of all decisions and just everything about the system has made me question all that Choices has done since forever. How can a nonprofit fan team make such a complex system with such delicacy and thought that a multimillion dollar company simply cannot? You raised the bar higher for what interactive stories should look like. THIS is how interactive stories should be, and thanks to the user-friendly programming, the replay value is very high.

These are all I can say off the top of my head and I will always be grateful for this work you've shared to us. This is the most passionate passion project I've had the honor of experiencing, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors. Should your endeavors include another interactive story (Painted Devils can't come soon enough, please just take my money!), I will be most eager to take part in it.

Sorry if this was long!

(P.S.: Abel mentioned about having people over with his shirt on. *What's his body count?* 🤭☺️)

Thank you for sending this in and sharing your thoughts!! I'm so glad that the game was so meaningful for you <3

#ask #mod win #ilw reviews #wupeepapo

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abelflints · 2 years

Text

Some Lincoln x MC Angst

Heal What Has Been Hurt (Change the Fate’s Design) Part 1 of 2 (part 2 available here)

Fanfic about the @itlivesproject game...

Basis: Vax is dead. Matthias McQuoid is the root of all problems. Killing him isn’t enough. (or, Lincoln uses the watch.)

Pairings: Lincoln x MC (mine is called Vax!), but intermittently (they don’t break up or anything, but well, look at the basis...)

Warnings: chapter 20 spoilers, lots of angst, swears, death, blood, injury, there’s going to be body horror in the next part, but it’s not in this one (except for the blood.) this is going to be dark!

Part 1 word count: 1834

Part 1 under cut!

Vax hated red.

It followed him everywhere.

Festering in his flesh–

In the flare of his nostrils, in the force of his fists.

Festering in the forest–

In the frown of his face, in the flounce of his feet.

Vax hated red.

Red was always hot. Burning, scalding.

I don’t want to be red anymore.

(be careful what you wish for.)

Tonight, red was cold.

He didn’t know what it was to die.

To stare the reaper in his face, and lift his unshaking gaze to it.

Red answered him…

When no one else would.

Red was loyal. Curt. Efficient.

Tonight, in these hallowed hills, red was cold.

As it spills out from him.

And he doesn’t know what it is to die…

Because there’s no authority figure left to curse. No finger left to point.

Finally, he finds, he doesn’t have any red left in him.

Not in his veins. Not in his head.

Red doesn’t blanket his fall, when he tips into the icy fingertips of the plunge.

Red doesn’t hold him, and cry, softly, softly, softly, with shuddering shakes.

Red doesn’t sneer:

“I told you so.”

The line they both thought (both dreaded– ) would be on their lips.

But red doesn’t hold him. Not tonight. Not like that. Instead, blue holds him, and all he squeaks is “I’m sorry, Abel.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry– ” he stutters, over Lincoln’s shaking shoulders that hold him tight, staring out at Abel, frozen across from them.

“Please take care of Lia. Please. You’re kind – and good - and everything I’m not – please, please, please, please.”

Abel shakes out of his reverie, giving him a determined, tear-filled nod. Amalia’s sobs sound against him, falling into Abel’s side.

Lincoln’s uttering to him softly, softly, softly, so, nonsense against his lips, as he clutches at the red spilling from his fingers.

It paints him, now, in a twisted imitation of an angel’s wings, red against the black of the night.

Vax didn't know how to say those three words.

Not to his friends. Not to Lia. And certainly not to Lincoln.

He didn't know then… He doesn’t know now.

Red held so many words in his throat.

“I am sorry.”

“I love you.”

“I was wrong.”

The trilogy of words he could never say.

But he’s tired of being red. He’s so tired .

Red didn’t permit him to say “I love you.”

But it was there in the way he nodded to Lia, when she did something worthy of his praise.

But it was there in the way when he bristled, when someone said something off to her.

But it was there in the way he grunted in response when Lia asked if he liked her outfit.

In the way how he remembered just exactly how she liked her breakfast, even though the last time she told him was half a decade ago and he’d rolled his eyes in response.

Or in the way his hands went for Lincoln’s own, even as both their teeth gritted, looking into the eyes of a viper.

In the way he’d rest his head against Lincoln’s shoulder, when he thought everyone wasn’t looking, then tear apart with a jump when people teased him about having gone soft.

Or in the way his jaw worked in the way that Lincoln knew to be him swallowing down a smile.

And in the way he followed the man like some lovesick puppy, then, when Abel pointed it out, grumbled how Abel ought to wear glasses all the time, because he was not staring at Lincoln’s ass, thank you very much.

Red didn’t permit him to say “I love you.”

But it was in the way he was there for Abel in the blink of an eye, guarding his side without question.

Or in the way he let out a hmph of laughter at Abel’s jokes, quickly covering his mouth to replace it with a scowl.

In the way he silently bandaged Jocelyn’s leg, against her protests, promising to break her leg if she jostled it again, even as the momentary frown betrayed the false threat in his eyes.

Or in the way he turned to the side, stifling a smile, as he complained about how chipper Connor was.

…So he didn’t know how to say I love you.

And so maybe neither did Lincoln.

But they knew. They knew.

Even if they never said it, they knew.

“Lia - I’m sorry - I’m sorry- ” Vax says, shuddering.

And he means it.

He means it.

Because he doesn’t know what else to say. Because it’s all he knows how to say. Because it was one of the only words red would not permit him to ever utter, the only words red ever snatched out of his lungs.

Lincoln holds him closer, and Abel stares, frozen in horror as his oldest friend and his oldest friend’s lover watch the red wash out of his veins.

“Do you want to try again?” Lincoln says suddenly, voice raw. He pushes a locket into Vax’s red-wrought hands.

Vax stares back at him, confused.

“What?…”

“Your psychometry. We were practising. Do you want to try again?”

“... Why ?” Vax rasps, slumping his head against the stone.

The light haloes him in ways gods could never. Lincoln prays those same gods won’t take him now. Not now. Not yet.

“There’s a message on this. You’ll… you’ll want to hear it.”

The mis-matched eyed man looks at him with his usual petulance.

“If it’s too much…” Lincoln reaches for him.

“No,” comes Vax’s determined voice, all but melting into his touch, “I’ll do it,” he says, a fire in his fluttering eyes – never one to back down from a challenge, even now.

Even now. As he lay dying.

…It hurts. Vax winces as his fingers wrap around the necklace, and Lincoln isn’t sure if his brows are furrowing in concentration or in pain (probably both.)

He shouldn’t have jostled him, shouldn’t have given him–

But a faint smile blooms on Vax’s lips. Unrestrained, free of his usual red.

And he falls back with a laugh, chuckling at some hidden message.

“So?”

“Love you too.” Vax utters, quietly, but he hears him.

He hears him.

For the last time.

It would be a mercy if they truly closed their eyes.

But that’s not how it happens.

Vax is smiling up at him one moment, and the next moment, his gaze goes distant, and in that moment, he is gone.

………

He doesn’t think, when he cries for him.

Doesn’t question how, what or why–

But his name - his best friend’s name - is on his lips, as soon as Vax’s head falls against the tapestries of his embrace.

Because Abel is smart. Abel is sweet. Abel is kind.

Because Abel knows everything.

Abel knows all.

…But this time, Abel has no answers to give.

Not one.

…Not this time.

Nothing to offer, but his companionship. But his shoulder, to cry upon.

And Lincoln’s head fits. Like a piece of a puzzle. It fits into the tall man’s shoulders, like it was made for them. Like that was always where his head was supposed to lay.