#i am quite interested in wesper

[clarissaweasley-10]

i have officially started reading Six of Crows!!!

@jkriordanverse @randomfandom-3 @isthataraccoon !!

[i-can-read-to-him]

The Wesper Fic Club's Author Spotlight is a post series that aims to feature two to three fic authors a month, randomly selected from a pool of names put forth on our server. The authors are then asked to answer three interview questions, select up to five of their fics for us to feature, and finally, recommend three fics by others in the fandom.

(Note: Our spotlighted fics are not limited to Wesper, though they tend to be a central pairing in most of our authors' featured works.)

This week, we are putting a spotlight on Ashlynn's writing!

Socials: @oneofthewednesdays (Tumblr) | oneofthewednesdays (AO3)

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Part One: Author Interview

Q: What’s something you haven’t written yet, but want to write in the future?

A:  So, one of my favorite series when I was in high school was The Mediator series by Meg Cabot. I was absolutely obsessed with the budding romance between Jesse and Suze. In fact, I used to write for the fandom back in my fanfiction.net days. Those early fics have been purged from the Internet as far as I can tell. Anyway, I want to write a Mediator AU for the Six of Crows fandom. Instead of zowa powers, Jesper can see dead people. These dead people may or may not include the ghost of his mother. In his first year at university, he ends up moving into a room in a building that used to be an inn back in the 1800s. Wylan is haunting his bedroom. (He was murdered en route to a music conservatory back in the day). Jesper decides to solve the mystery of Wylan’s murder, at first because he is annoyed by his ghostly roommate. He wants to force Wylan to move on so he can have his room to himself. But later Jesper begins to care about Wylan, even falling in love with him. If you have read The Mediator series, you already know how it is going to end…. Also, Paul Slater will be played by Kuwei Yul-Bo. If you know, you know.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the Grishaverse, where would you go?

A: I would travel to Ketterdam to study at the university. I absolutely fell in love with the description in the book, with its crooked little alleyways filled with bookbinders and apothecaries. It reminds me so much of Oxford University in real life. I had the opportunity to conduct archival research at Oxford as a visiting scholar when I was in graduate school. During my two summers in England, I spent hours nestled in the Bodleian Library, surrounded by stacks of books. The design of the Boeksplein is basically the same, but with more interesting gargoyles. I am also about to begin my career as a university professor, so the University of Ketterdam just seems like a good fit… as long as gunfights don’t break out in the reading room.

Q: Apart from sight, what is your favourite of the senses to describe when writing?

A: I absolutely love writing with sound, especially words with subtle onomatopoeia. I love the rustle of leaves on a crisp autumn morning, and the murmur of the wind through the branches of a willow tree. I draw quite a bit of inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe here. When I was young, I fell in love with his description of a heartbeat in “The Tell-Tale Heart.” His poem “The Bells” is absolutely mesmerizing to me, and I borrow sounds from it all the time. Indeed, Poe talks quite a bit about the importance of sound in creating mood in one of his essays—“The Philosophy of Composition”—and it is something I think about quite a bit when I write. I love to use the ticking of clocks and the dripping of water to stretch silences. Finally, I absolutely love movies like the Quiet Place franchise because they are a study in soundscapes. In another life, I think it would have been really cool to become a foley artist in the film industry.

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Part Two: Selected Works

Sleep No More

Teen | 51.1K | Wesper Modern AU, NYC, Homelessness, Angst with a Happy Ending

Sleep No More is my love letter to New York City. In the opening scene, Wylan wakes up on the 7-train as it leaves the tunnel at Hunters Point Avenue. The glare flickers beneath his eyelids, making it impossible to sleep.  I took the same commute on the 7-train for several years when I was working out at a school in Queens. I would spend over an hour on the train, listening to Crooked Kingdom and other audiobooks on my commute. On one of those commutes, I started to consider the challenges Wylan would face as an unhoused teenager in the city. The story evolved from there to include alternating point-of-view chapters between Wylan and Jesper, and of course, some guest appearances from other crows, as they work together to outwit Jan Van Eck.

Musée des Beaux Arts

Teen | 24.6K | Gen with background Wesper, Kanej Friendship, Pre-Canon, Post-Canon, Ableism, Happy Ending

I wrote Musée des Beaux Arts during the Six of Crows Big Bang event back in 2022. I wanted to explore how Wylan and Kaz complement each other as character foils throughout the series. Therefore, the story includes alternating point-of-view chapters, starting with the Queen’s Lady Plague. The title comes from a poem of the same name by W.H. Auden, and I tried to incorporate themes from that poem throughout the story. The poem, in particular, discusses a Pieter Bruegel painting called Landscape with the Fall of Icarus. Therefore, artwork plays a central role throughout the narrative. Each chapter shares a title with a famous painting from the Dutch Golden Age. My favorite chapter is probably the third because I had so much fun writing Jesper. 

Sankta Margaretha and Other Tales Of Sorrow

Teen | 18.4K | Kanej  Hurt/Comfort, Family, Angst, Implied/Referenced Non-con

This was the first story that I ever wrote for the Six of Crows fandom, and it is easily my most popular fic. It follows Mama and Papa Ghafa on their journey to Ketterdam to reunite with their daughter. I had so much fun developing the unique narrative voices for both Mama Ghafa and Papa Ghafa. The Lives of the Saints features heavily in this fic as well. I fell in love with the story of Sankta Margaretha when I first read it, and I wanted to infuse as much of that mythos into the story as possible. It is, at its core, a story about faith and forgiveness. Plus, I got to write one of my favorite interactions between Papa Ghafa and Kaz Brekker. 

Escapology

Teen | 2.2K | Gen  Modern AU, Escape Rooms, Friendship, Humor

Escapology is such a self-indulgent little fic. I am an escape room enthusiast in real life. I have traveled to multiple cities with my friends to complete escape rooms. We have, to date, done thirty-nine rooms together as a team. I wanted to explore the chaotic energy of a Modern AU where the Crows work together to escape an Ice Court-themed escape room. Kuwei is their poor, exhausted gamemaster.  If we ever get our Six of Crows spin-off, I need Netflix to create an exclusive Ice Court escape room in real life. Can you imagine how fun it would be? 

Pas De Deaux 

Teen | 9.7K | Wesper Holidays, Healing, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Post-Canon

I am so fond of this little fic, and not very many people have read it compared to some of the others, but I am not surprised because it was a winter fic that was published well after the winter holidays. It is heavily inspired by the Soldier Prince story in The Language of Thorns, which was in turn heavily inspired by The Nutcracker Suite. Wylan is struggling with less-than-happy memories during Nachtspel, and Jesper helps him make new memories. I started this story writing the kiss at the end, and then had to write nine thousand words to actually get to the kiss.

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Part Three: Author's Recs

Bright Morning Stars by endoftheworld 

Mature | 163.5K | Wesper Hunger Games Crossover, Canon Typical Violence, Rebellion

This is the second story in Now We Are All Chosen Ones. While I would encourage you to read the opening story in the series first, it can absolutely stand on its own as a self-contained story. Jesper has always known that he would be reaped for the Hunger Games. It was only a matter of time. Meanwhile, Wylan is the son of the president, and he begins to realize that he is being watched. Bright Morning Stars keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish, and I absolutely love how the author wove together Six of Crows and the Hunger Games. 

hybrid signal by pyrrhlc

Mature | 110K | Kanej with background Wesper, Helnik  Fairy Tale Curses, Haunted House, Monster Kaz, Hurt/Comfort

Written through the lens of a Beauty and the Beast AU, this is an absolutely gorgeous exploration of not only the love between Kaz and Inej, but also the meaning of forgiveness in all its forms. The worldbuilding is stunning, and I loved how the enchantment transformed each of the crows. There are tragic notes to it, of course, there is an eventual happy ending. 

crystal cut by twosoulsinonehome

Mature | 107K | Wesper Enemies to Lovers, Slow Burn, Figure Skating, Hurt/Comfort

I have reread this fic at least three times since the final chapter was posted in February. It is a figure skating AU. I know nothing about figure skating. However, I was absolutely entranced by the annoyances-to-lovers dynamic throughout the fic. Wylan is a figure skater. Jesper is his coach. Will they kill each other before the end of the season? Or will they kiss each other senseless instead? (Who am I kidding? You already know the answer to that question.)

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Please support our authors by commenting and leaving kudos on any stories of theirs you read and enjoy! Don't forget to also reblog this post and check back soon for our next author spotlight to come.

Interested in joining our server and getting to know our community? Feel free to request an invite via the @i-can-read-to-him ask box.

[eerna]

I love Danielle Gilligan as much as the next person, but after reading that article you linked I’m once again pretty pissed off they didn’t hire a plus sized actress for the role. I was pissed when the casting was announced but I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt. But after everything is laid out on the table, with Jesper being given lighter skin as well as his portrayal as a bisexual man, and Kaz not being played by an disabled actor, and the erasure of Inej’s trauma it really shows they don’t actually give a shit about representing the canon characters. Everything that article points out really hits home and like the cast seems so cool and nice but there’s so many things fundamentally wrong with the adaptation that it’s really not enough anymore. The show needs the “out of character tag” because Jesus Christ they’re such watered down versions of the book it’s pretty insulting as a reader. Anyways thank you for answering asks about this stuff because it’s nice to see people looking at it with a critical eye instead of “Freddy Carter hot”

Okay a disclaimer: I think the article is wrong on quite a few accounts, and casting Danielle is one of them. Leigh Bardugo said she never specified Nina's size beyond "fat" because she wanted all large girls to relate to her, which means saying "Nina is canonically stated as plus-sized and can only be played by a plus-sized actress" is wrong. Also, calling s1 Danielle "skinny" simply because she isn't plus-sized is shitty and reductive of body diversity. At the moment of her casting, Danielle WAS accurate for Nina, because she was fat (on the smaller end of fat, but absolutely NOT skinny or medium). Danielle has gone on record to explain how badly it hurt to be rejected for her size in the industry, and then finally land a role only to have fans claim her body is wrong once again, and I am totally convinced that's a part of why she lost so much weight in the past 3 years. Kaz' casting is the same: Kaz gets up to so much inappropriate things that he says his disability got way worse after the events of the books, and putting a disabled actor through long filming days of an action show just doesn't sound viable to me. CGI and body doubles for every other scene aren't cheap, and also mean the character will NOT be played by the disabled actor most of the time, so we're back to square 1. Yes, disabled characters can be played by disabled actors, but maybe Kaz Brekker is not the best example of that. Jesper's casting, however, is absolutely unacceptable (especially when you take into account that Netflix does this all the time) and I still can't believe people just forgot about it. Same for Inej. I liked the paragraph in the article that pointed out how the show is only interested in scoring as many diversity points as possible, as quickly as possible, without making sure their tokens are treated as well written characters. It explained so well why Wesper was written the way it was. Ugh. Tokenism.

And no problem ahah, I totally get that people need to vent and finding fellow SaB haters is difficult. Maybe my freedom of thought is caused by the fact that Freddy Carter isn't hot to me. Guess we'll never know

[mcmactictac]

Yes I’ve heard mixed things about the new season and as someone who has only read six of crows and half of crooked kingdom am incredibly confused? Yes! But I’ve also heard people say that this was not meant to be an exact adaptation and that Leigh knew and was ok with that.

As a stand-alone series? It’s great. Definitely weird having some parts be so accurate to the book and then others be completely different but idk I think it’s still interesting and well done. The cast did a great job, it still keeps a lot of the same themes, and while I agree some of the crows storylines feel a little rushed (idk what they plan to do with Jesper and inej now since they’ve basically gone through their arcs) it’s still an interesting and compelling narrative that’s given us lots of great new content too.

The wesper content was wonderful and given the amount of slow burns the show already has I’m ok with it having sped up quite a bit. Plus they’re absolutely adorable and I’m always a fan of seeing healthy queer relationships and mlm relationships that are allowed to be soft and gentle and not overly aggressive and sexualized. They’re lovely and they’re both doing a great job

As a kanej enjoyer I definitely feel like we got robbed a bit with the second half of the season but again the church scene was lovely and I do love a good slow burn, the pacing of it is just. Confusing me since inej’s arc is like. Done.

But I liked it! Costume designers slayed as always, some great dialogue, lovely additional plots, I loved having some longer episodes and getting to see a little more backstory from the crows. I feel like if you treat them like two separate entities you can enjoy both more. I heard it referred to as “high budget fanfiction” and honestly I can’t complain about that yk? It knows what it is and it’s doing it pretty well, especially combining two different narratives

[argikiya]

First of all, Shadow and Bone season 2 released on the most unfortunate time and in between my exams, but today was the last one and me and my non existent self-control have managed to binge watch it. And I have finally made up my mind about what to think of this new season.

I saw a post that said that for the book readers the series is like a very well written fanfiction. I obviously loved the books but it is like seeing your favorites from a different point of view, and I can’t say that I did not enjoy it.

What I loved: Even though they changed a lot of plotline and the character relationships I think they did justice to the characters and for some made them more interesting. Like most of us can agree Mal and Alina is quite a bland ship, though it remains the same, but Mal’s character in here is way better than the books. Mainly I like his change of story line in the last episode, it was quite interesting. Kaz’s backstory was shown pretty well. His trauma and past was touching and not just another random backstory. Next is the Darkling. I think his character has a lot of depth than the books. His last monologue was my favorite. In the books he is kind of like a pure evil character but here he is more of a perfect grey character and I appreciate this change. As for Wesper, even though I loved the slow burn romance, I very much enjoyed the speed-run. It’s like we get to know more of their relationship after Crooked Kingdom but for those who haven’t read the book I don’t know what they thought of it. I can only recommend them to go and read the books.

The Little things: I loved the little interactions between Inej and Alina. Inej's the cool as fuck action scenes OH MY GOD. The Crows saving everyone’s ass. Wylan saving the crow’s ass. Zoyalai interactions. All the Kanej moments from the books had me screaming. I love the angst. Tolya and Tamar, the coolest duo. Mathias😭

I hated: Mostly these are also the little things. Inej’s backstory, I don’t think they are going to show it more but it would have put more dynamic in her character. Kaz already telling he is looking for her family. NO! You were supposed to surprise her with it Kaz. Nina did not get a lot of action in the second half, she was mostly injured here and there. Kaz and Nikolai interactions was not supposed to go like that. And let's not talk about Genya and David just yet.

What’s next: I can only guess they are going to focus on King of Scars and Six of Crows, if there is a next season (can’t put my faith in netflix), and I guess Wylan’s backstory and his father will be kind of main plot of it, which I am very eager to see.

Honestly the first trilogy(s&b) is not the best installment of the Grishaverse and there is lot of potential in the plot and the characters if they change it correctly and I hope the changes would not be disappointing, while the SoC plotline and character dynamic is kind of perfect, so the less they change on that the better. And lastly, the last cliffhanger had me very intrigued for what comes next.

[jeanmoreaux]

(reread anon) One of the things that bugged me the most was Tolya, unfortunately. In the books he's so quiet and serious and devoted and in the show he's this comic relief and I did not vibe with that at all. And then that they took plot points from all the five books and mashed them into one season. That Nikolai already is infected but that it was a Volcra and not punishment from the darkling. That Alina didn't lose her powers and that Inej's Story and trauma was not explored or explained enough. wesper, I didn't like how "smol" they made wylan, it made me a bit icky and how they didn't make him smart or clever in the show. I could go on but you've already mentioned most of the things already haha

noooo you're so, so right about tolya. like what did they do to his character?!?!? i am almost done with my siege & storm reread and there is barely any overlap between book!tolya and show!tolya. in the books, he's such a sternly calm yet imposing presence and he's very devoted to alina & his faith. in the show, he's just kind of there, trying to recite poetry and swinging his katana? idk it's very weird for sure ((also, the thing they did with him and inej???? HUH???)). ((and don't even get me started on tamar and the tamadia neglect lmaooo. so bad.)). godddd, they really randomly picked plot points for this season, didn't they? it truly feels more like a disjointed highlight real than a coherent story. and then the scenes don't even hit because they lack necessary emotional build-up and characterisation because there is no proper narrative set-up 😭😭 in this fictional universe, it simply doesn't work to take storylines out of context and mess with the timeline like this. ((yes, i am still VERY bitter about the pekka rollins stuff............)). you're right, my boys, nikolai and wylan, suffered so much as well. their characterisations ranged from reductive to one-dimensional to kind of okay to feeble to downright stupid. nikolai is more layered then the show even tried to show. i know the writers said they are were not interested in exploring the nikolai merzost infection in any physical way, but i personally think that's such a missed opportunity. the entire thing of transforming into a monster and dealing with that and how that trauma affects your psyche and your self-perception is SO INTERESTING. it's also a great metaphor in an of itself, later on as a physical reminder of the pszchological trauma as well. and ofc the whole king of scars thing is just kind of 🤷‍♀️ now. and as you mentioned, having a nichevo'ya (?) infect him is just..... less powerful then it being retribution from the darkling. it kind of takes from both their storylines and developments. alina not losing her powers (and sun summoning powers not emerging in the other people) was SUCH a disappointment. literally did not want This Kind of "girlbossification" of alina, but here we are. making her a shadow summoner was...a Choice for sure. this entire last episode was a Choice. and not a particular sensible one. ngl the inej thing is probably one of the things that makes me angriest. they have such an interesting and well-rounded character to work with and instead of exploring inej as a (main) character in her own right they choose to make her a supporting act in the kaz-brekker-show. it's just so frustrating. and yeah, wesper were quite a let-down. i get what you mean about the dynamic feeling weird. it's just not really wesper to me, you know. and, like i mentioned earlier, wylan's characterisation is so ??????? i don't understand why they even went this "smolification" route. he's a cunning little bitch and instead of leaning into that they chose to take it and throw it out the window??? another writing decision in this show i simply do not understand. like, WHY DID THEY FEEL THE NEED TO DO THAT???!! TBH WHY DID THEY FEEL THE NEED TO DO ANY THEY DID???!?! even now that i have had time to sit with the season for a bit, i am still baffled by so many choices. most of the changes they made were either boring or weird or just unnecessary, and quite frankly, make me angrier the more i think about them. their narrative decisions literally only took from the story while adding nothing of value.

[gemstarstarlight]

last song: Will you cry? by Gracie Abrams. I have a suspicion about my #1 Spotify Wrapped artist this year…

last show: Uhhhhhhhh…crap what was it…I guess Cinema Therapy? OH I did start The Good Place, but I only watch it with one friend and that was a few months ago so I don’t think it counts (only a couple episodes in, sitcoms aren’t quite my thing so it’s kinda hard to watch but it’s very good and has an intellectual center that makes it bearable). I almost never watch TV shows anymore. I just watch YouTube. Almost exclusively.

currently watching: When two of your mutuals post about the same show you start to get curious, and I finally started watching Shadow and Bone (the wesper definitely helped; Wylan and Jesper are exactly my favorite type of characters). I’m watching it a little at a time and so far it’s lovely! I didn’t know anything about the Alina plot, which makes me nervous because it’s clearly a main part of the plot. But even that’s interesting (I’m at episode 3 right now so 🤞). I’m also watching Drawfee, but I’m always watching Drawfee.

currently reading: (I’m pasting these from another tag because nothing has changed including my progress 😂) Not In It To Win It by Andy Stanley and The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Laurence and Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes by E. Randolph Richards and Richard James. I also decided to try reading The Westing Game because it’s funny and I need something else to do, apparently 🙄🤣 why am I like this?

current obsession: Stray Kids and The Crows.

Tagging the usual suspects @taketwoinink @9-circles-of-l @venusqq @insurance-gfs @thatfaecreature and I think that will be enough to circulate to everyone else.

Thanks for the tag @mycatnamedlily !

Tag 9 people you want to get to know better.

Last song: Not exactly sure, but let's say it's "Canciones de Amor" by Julieta Venegas.

Last show: Last show I watched all the way through is Young Royals, but that was a couple months ago now.

Currently watching: Just finished the first episode of the new series of Taskmaster and it is *so good* I mean it's always good, but I was laughing out loud from the get-go, and this is the first series in a while where I really don't know anything about any of the contestants. I also still need to finish The Sandman and I really want to watch the new season of Shadow & Bone!

Currently reading: I ordered Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano after reading a quote from the introduction on here. It is gorgeously written and translated, it's the kind if book that makes me remember that I love to read. The content is really difficult, but important to read. I've been really focusing on learning more about Latin American history, and I'm glad I came across this book.

Current obsession: Probably Taskmaster if I'm being honest. I've been listening to the podcast on my commute, and it's just such good, wholesome fun, with very very little drama, and I love that.

No-pressure tags:

@skinnyscottishbloke @turniptitaness @inconveniently-discorporated @barrowsteeth @itcamefromthesea-blog @chaotic-autumn @skyisverybored

[jackwolfes]

will we be seeing more sub alex one day? no hurry please write whatever makes you the happiest but your fics are my favorite so i wanted to check and see 👉🏼👈🏼

alright this is a much longer answer than i think you were expecting, buckle up + i am sorry 😂 and also thank you im glad you like them it's very sweet of you 🥺

so the thing isn't that i'm no longer into rwrb or firstprince, it's just that i have so many ideas so quickly that are, given what im currently writing, in different fandoms. HOWEVER i have looooooads of like, draft fics for FP that.... might see the light of day? or will hopefully see the light of day! i havent revisted them lately and i think a big long break writing other things was what i needed, so may well go back to them now, especially if there are certain ones folks are interested in 👀 theyre not all sub alex and most of them are actually not nsfw! but i also dont write dom alex so any nsfw firstprince fic is... gonna be sub alex 😂

tl;dr bc that got wordy: i dont have any imminent fics to give you a concrete "yes and here's when they'll appear" HOWEVER i can definitely say the answer isn't no!

i will drop all the different working docs/premises/drafts under the cut for anyone who's interested in seeing what might be coming up (pls do ask about them if youre curious, discussing fics helps me get excited to finish them!!!!)

almost done/being worked on fairly consistently:

'won't lose you' (alex gets kidnapped/held hostage fic - keep wanting to finish this but it gets pushed down behind wesper things bc i have so many wesper things to write)

'discreet packaging' (smut adjacent fluff/comedy, i'll let you imagine what this is 😂)

not quite done but with a fair amount already written:

prequel to 'buzzing' (yay sub alex)

'glass' (not explicitly sub alex but there's no plot, just sex)

'im in the stars tonight' (drunk pez & alex shenanigans)

'testing testing 123' (what is effectively a psa about safe sex and getting tested, might get written for HIV awareness day bc i love a theme)

OC cafe banter (probably will just appear on tumblr one day)

'soft for you' (more smut adjacent comedy/fluff)

'follow my lead' (strictly come dancing au except im also writing a wesper strictly come dancing au that will come first i think? who knows. also fun fact: this is a CMQ crossover! so jane and august are in it)

body swapping (magical realism where they swap bodies which is so FUN but i also do not have the brain space to finish it properly so it just exists in a limbo)

'the clock is ticking' aka the sequel to do you want to play a game (yes THIS FIC! THIS FIC! IT'S THIS FIC I WILL FINISH IT ONE DAY BUT I ALSO HATE WHAT I'VE WRITTEN SO FAR AND IT MAKES IT VERY HARD TO ACTUALLY DO IT. like i will finish it because i want to finish it but i wont until im happy with it which is going to be a lot of brain space)

ideas floating about in my brain with nothing else whatsoever:

follow on to god bless the nhs that i want to write to cope with my GFs broken bone (she is fine)

royal wedding fic that i was going to write but then shit with harry and meghan broke bad and i was like, fuck at least this fic would have been accurate but i need to rework this now

a few long form norabug things that i do want to write but again, all the long fics in my head right now are a completely different fandom and vibe so... who knows one day

[wy-van-sunshine]

wesper fanfic!

Author’s note: I have read so many fanfics in which Wylan feels different from Jesper’s world and lifestyle, somehow out of place and he’s sad about it, but since I always want to see things from other perspectives I want to write something in which Jesper is the one feeling “wrong” for the way Wylan lives his life. I really hope you��ll like this!

The stage lights shone on the beautiful flautist’s red hair, enlightening his silver flute and isolating him in the only spot of warm light in the entire theatre: the music he played was so full of harmony and peace, it was as if Wylan existed in a parallel world made of his own music and emotions.

The public was lucky enough to be allowed to observe that world from the outside, taking part in it through the celestial notes that Wylan played in the most natural way, almost as if they were an extension of his soul.

Jesper was in a private place, hidden from the rest of the people but from where he could have the best view of his boyfriend: he often mocked him about his “graceful serenades”, but whenever he played on stage he couldn’t help but admire the unique talent the merchling had and fall in love with that music not so many months ago he didn’t even care about.

Jesper smiled. In any other occasion he would have called himself an idiot for that, but now he really couldn’t do anything else but keep that peaceful expression on his face, his chin resting on his hand as he stared at Wylan on stage, his gaze filled with love and admiration.

The magic lasted forever, but it was also so brief: before anyone wanted him to, Wylan played the last notes and he finally smiled, looking at the point where he knew Jesper was and bowing to the whole public who was applauding and cheering him hard. 

Every time the redhead had a concert, the night was so difficult to end: he exited the theatre and almost everyone was waiting him there to see and talk to him. Wylan was so grateful for that, but at the same time he always met Jesper’s eyes among all people and some parts of him wanted nothing but run to him and hug him. However, he was a polite musician and he always stopped to talk with his public.

Jesper looked at Wylan’s blue, shiny eyes with pride: he was so happy everytime after a concert and the sharpshooter would have paid a million kruge to see that expression on him every second of his life. 

“Hey there, boy!” Jesper turned his head to his left and saw a middle aged couple “You are the flautist’s boyfriend, am I right?” asked the man.

“Yes, yes I am” he answered smiling “Did you enjoy the concert? I don’t know much about this world, but I really think he’s the best out there” 

The woman nodded “His music sounds so graceful! I bet he’d play some parts of Tchaikovski’s pieces like no one ever has”

“You’re right, my dear! And what about the concerts by Mozart? He would enchant the public! What do you think, boy?”

“Jesper, you can call me Jesper” said the Zemeni, then smiled, a little embarassed “I... actually, as I said before I really don’t know much about this musical world, but... well, I think Wylan would be amazing in any occasion...?”

Jesper couldn’t quite decipher the gaze the couple exchanged: they looked... disappointed in his answer, but what could he do about it? He had just been honest. Luckily, Wylan finally came and he didn’t have to think about it anymore. 

“Jes!” Wylan called with a huge smile on his lips, throwing his arms around his waist. The sharpshooter released a breath and hugged him back “You were a Saint up there” he said. 

The redhead hugged him harder, but then he felt a hand tap his shoulder and he turned his head, meeting the old man’s gaze. He smiled politely “Good evening, sir!”

The couple started talking with Wylan about the same topic they tried to discuss with Jesper, but this time they found someone who understood everything they said and the chat became more and more interesting to Wylan, more and more uncomfortable to Jesper.

He was there, trying to follow the conversation, but he got lost among weird composer’s names and numbers of concerts and operas. He could see how Wylan was loving all of that and how he was feeling comfortable, and suddenly he felt wrong. 

Music was one of Wylan’s greatest passions and what did he know about it? Bach and Mozart were names he had only heard, “Cage” was a place to be imprisoned in, “Chopin” was a funny word similar to what you did when you went to the mall. He knew absolutely nothing about it. He knew nothing about one of the most important things to his boyfriend. 

After minutes which felt like eras for Jesper, Wylan took leave of the couple and grabbed Jesper’s hand, smiling as usual “Shall we go home?”

Jesper tried to smile back, but he couldn’t. He just nodded and started walking. Their way back home was not long, but it passed in silence, Wylan thinking about the night and Jesper about how everything about himself felt wrong. Sometimes Wylan looked over the sharpshooter: he was silent and that was something to worry about, but he had no idea about what was going on in his head and he said nothing until they arrived home.

Without a word, Jesper placed a kiss on Wylan’s head and immediately reached for their bedroom, throwing himself on the bed and staring at the ceiling, his head almost in pain for his thoughts. 

About fifteen minutes later, the merchling entered the room with a smoking cup in his hand, reached the bed and sit next to Jesper’s body, looking at him. He knew he was sad or worried about something: those were the only - rare - occasions in which the Zemeni didn’t speak, even though Wylan was sure his head was screaming. Anyways, he knew in those occasions Jesper loved to dissolve his thoughts in a cup of hot cocoa, so that was exactly what he had prepared for him as soon as they got home. 

“Hey there” he said softly, placing a hand on Jesper’s shoulder “Take this”

The sharpshooter gave him a weak smile and took the cup in his hand: he sit against the wall in order to be able to drink it better. Still, he didn’t say a word.

“What’s wrong?” Wylan asked, now a little worried. Usually after the first sip of cocoa the sharpshooter started talking, but now he was silent and the redhead was silently panicking. Had he done something wrong? It wouldn’t be the first time, after all he was not perfect, in fact he was the exact opposite of perfection.

“Ioneserveu”

Wylan didn’t understand what Jesper said as he murmured with such low voice, his eyes fixed on the cocoa. 

“What? What is it?” 

The sharpshooter released a long breath and he finally looked up at his boyfriend: meeting his beautiful blue eyes made him feel even worse.

“I don’t deserve you” he said with a painful smile. 

Wylan felt a shot straight to his heart: the gray eyes that were looking at him were a storm, they were troubled, they were honest. 

“What the fuck are you saying, Jesper?” 

“There, I got you saying the f-word” 

“Stop joking. What does I don’t deserve you mean?”

“It’s a very simple Kerch sentence. I don’t feel like I’m enough for you and I don’t think I actually am”

Wylan took Jesper’s hand in his and talked with broken voice “But why? We’ve been together for almost a year now, Jes. Where is this coming from?”

Jesper huffed, he was not comfortable with that talk. He wanted to tell Wylan how he was feeling, but he wasn’t good at dealing with emotions; moreover, what if his boyfriend hadn’t noticed his differences yet? What if he was the one to point them out to him and ruin their relationship forever?

“I feel like I’m wasting your time here. These months were amazing for me, but for you? Tonight I saw how your eyes shine when you talk about music and all those composers, and I see that same joy when you explain to me your impossible equations or the way you build bombs, and I smile and I nod because I know how much that stuff means to you, but I don’t understand anything and- how long can this last? How long before you get tired of-” 

Jesper suddenly stopped: he couldn’t finish the sentence. If he said that last word out loud, the whole feeling would become real and he really didn’t want to burst into tears in front of Wylan. 

...me? How long before you get tired of me?

The sharpshooter found himself in a whole new situation: in seventeen years of life he never once thought anybody could get tired of him, he did his best to be as energetic as possible and people loved being around him. But Wylan was no ordinary boy: he was so special and he didn’t deserve someone as ordinary as Jesper felt. 

He stared at his merchling, looking for an answer he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear: but Wylan was smiling softly at him, not a sign of concern on his pale face. He got nearer to the sharpshooter and he kissed him, slowly dragging his body down with his. They were now laying next to each other, Wylan had for the first time ever Jesper’s head resting on his chest - it was always the opposite as their heights were clearly different. 

After kissing Jesper on his head, Wylan spoke in a whisper “Are you happy with me, Jes?” 

The sharpshooter was enjoing being cuddled by his boyfriend, he had calmed down a little, but he still felt like he didn’t deserve all those attentions.

“Yes Wy, I am happy. I am so happy. And because of that I’m afraid I’ll screw everything up”

“You want to know why I fell in love with you in the first place?” 

Jesper grinned “Not if then you’re going to dump me because I’ve ruined everything”

Wylan gently slapped him on the neck “I would never want to be without you, you idiot” 

“Fine then” Jesper allowed, his heart beating faster for what his boyfriend just said.

Before talking, Wylan started caressing Jesper’s dark hair “I have built bombs and explosives in my life, Jesper. And I know a lot of things about chemistry. When I met you, I felt like everything I knew about explosions was nothing compared to you. You are a living bomb, and I’m saying it with a positive meaning: you are like a constant explosion of energy, you don’t just burst once, you keep on doing it and that is the exact energy I didn’t know I needed in my life. You have no scientific explanation and I love it”

Jesper breathed heavily and Wylan thought the was holding back tears: he took his chin in his hand and he lifted his head, looking into his eyes just to find out they were actually wet. The redhead smiled at him.

“I don’t care if you don’t know things about music or maths or anything else, one boring nerd is enough in a coulple, don’t you think?” 

Jesper laughed “You’re my favourite nerd, you know”

“I should hope so! Anyways, I asked you whether you’re happy with me and there’s a reason for that: when we got togther, I had the same worries about myself. You were a charming, extroverted thief and I didn’t feel like I could fit in your world. But then one day you hugged me and I thought I feel like I fit in these arms. I understood I was happy with you, and to me that was enough. If you’re happy with me as well, then we don’t have to worry about anything else”

“Saints, you really are a poet, Van Sunshine” said Jesper with a grin, but before Wylan could reply he reached for his lips and he kissed him for long, silently thanking him for everything he said, for everything he gave him not just in that moment, but every day since they met. 

Maybe their worlds were different, but while kissing and hugging and looking for more, Wylan and Jesper couldn’t help but notice how perfect they were for each other: their lips matched, their hands coincided perfectly, their bodies completed each other. 

They were happy together and they loved each other. 

And yes, that was far more than enough. 

[grishaversebigbang]

#48–Tsar Punks

Project Info

Gang name: Tsar Punks

Working title: things said very quietly

Synopsis: A story following Wylan as he attempts to carry on after all that’s happened. Featuring: mothers that aren’t dead, lanky Zemini boys, and a house that seems a stranger and a friend all at once.

(Alternatively: lots of Wesper, Marya Hendriks, no small amount of emotional pain, and a dinner party.)

Short excerpt: “Wylan?” Jesper asked, his heart pounding in his throat like a trapped bird.     Wylan didn’t look up from the piano, slender fingers moving above the monochrome keys like a dancer on a stage. There was nothing about him that Jesper didn’t find beautiful in that moment, nothing about him that wasn’t elegant and worthy of a thousand elegies. The music—or maybe just Wylan’s proximity, fiery curls and freckles like stars on a porcelain sky—made him feel a bit drunk, like he was disconnected from his body. Like his thoughts weren’t quite his own, but those of an exact replica of him; essentially the same, but somehow different.

“Hmm?” he hummed, to show that he was listening.

He swallowed down acrid fear.

“I think I might be in love with you.”

Gang Introduction

Username: @une-danse-macabre Role: etherealnik Short introduction/fun fact: greetings and salutations! my name is tehsin (she/her) and I have yet to be devoured by any wendigos or fair folk. my fun fact is that, three years ago, I carved out my heart and buried it in the woods. there is now a tree growing there. it bleeds real blood sometimes! also, I’m always cold.

Username: @wylansketterdam Role: healer Short introduction/fun fact: hiya! I’m emma, sleep deprived 99% of the time and I read/write stories instead of doing homework

Username: @itsbrilliantjustlikeyou Role: healer Short introduction/fun fact: hiya my name is zoe and the only nightmare I remember from my childhood was about a really big ladybug

Username: @wylanbewildin Role: heartrender Short introduction/fun fact: hey there! i’m autumn (she/her), and i love wylan almost as much as i love women. some of my other interests include listening to the same three songs on repeat, projecting onto my favorite characters, and writing characters of my own that will hopefully make it into a book someday!

Username: @sixofass Role: materialnik Short introduction/fun fact: what’s up my dudes I'm Lucy and uh my ears are weirdly sensitive to pressure change so i can tell when it’s about to rain but only like ~5 minutes beforehand and only if I'm outside. TL;DR I have the world’s most useless superpower 

Username: @clearlynotclaire Role: materialnik Short introduction/fun fact: despite my user, i am in fact claire. The only thing notable about me is that i once slept for 16 hours straight after my first finals season in university and woke up not knowing what century it was so yeah.

Username: @drawfulneutral Role: materialnik Short introduction/fun fact: g’day gang, i’m ellie, I used to eat strawberries by the handful as a kid but now i’m allergic. I can still remember how they taste, but I can't eat them. I am in hell.

[i-can-read-to-him]

The Wesper Fic Club's Author Spotlight is a post series that aims to feature two to three fic authors a month, randomly selected from a pool of names put forth on our server. The authors are then asked to answer three interview questions, select up to five of their fics for us to feature, and finally, recommend three fics by others in the fandom.

(Note: Our spotlighted fics are not limited to Wesper, though they tend to be a central pairing in most of our authors' featured works.)

This week, we are putting a spotlight on Daydreams' writing!

Socials: @sixofcrowdaydreams (Tumblr) | Pen_n_Notebook (AO3)

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Part One: Author Interview

Q: What’s something you haven’t written yet, but want to write in the future?

A: Lol. My Wesper Big Bang story!  So I have a handful of fic ideas saved in a google doc folder, but one particular AU fic that tickles my interest is a Firefly AU. I’d love to write about the Crows in Space! Crows in the Wild West with a Cowboy aesthetic, sign me up!! Please say that someone sees the potential of this vision too. Thief and Information broker Kaz who captains a smuggling ship outside the reach of the government in the lawlessness of the border planets at the edge of space. First mate Inej who prefers a knife over a gun as she searches each planet to reunite with her family. Gun for hire Jesper outrunning his debts. And their three new passengers: companion turned spy Nina, former Alliance and current convict Matthias, and runaway Wylan with a talent for mechanical repair. Everyone on the ship has a reason for running. When their ship catches the attention of the Alliance, it’s anyone’s guess who the government is really chasing. It’s going to take all six of their skill sets to outmaneuver the most powerful organization in the universe.  There’s half a plot in my head already.

Q: What is one of your favorite scenes from the source material (book or show)?)

A: My favorite scene from the book is Jesper and Wylan’s trip to Saint Hilde. Everything about it it wonderful, from their hilarious, flirty wagon ride, to Wylan’s discovering his mother is alive and playing music for her, MVP Jesper keeping their disguises up and helping Wylan hold himself together long enough to meet Marya and get out, Jesper snatching a portrait of Wylan, and most of all, Wylan’s emotional breakdown on the dusty road as they leave. And Wylan’s backstory, his arrival in the Barrel and meeting Jesper at the tannery… that chapter owns my heart. It highlights Wylan and Jesper and is extremely angsty and emotional. Just everything I could want.  As for the show, my favorite is the Wesper deleted scene. Soft, domestic Wesper half undressed. Jesper soothing Wylan’s sad memories by giving him a place to belong and making him feel wanted. Complete devotion without any hesitation. Speed running a relationship just because it’s what they want so they’re going to pursue it. *sobs* They’re so beautiful.

Q: Tell us about something in your fics that you’re proud of and wish would get more notice. [Admin Note: Major spoilers below for Daydreams' Cinderella AU, To Live in Color!]

A: I am very proud of the foreshadowing and set up of plot points in To Live in Color. Multiple times the groundwork was laid several chapters in advance. And maybe this is just what writing is supposed to do, but I’m still quite proud of it. For example, In chapter 2 Wylan thinks about how absurd it would be to meet and fall in love with the prince. This was to prepare the reader by telling them there will be no prince in this Cinderella AU because that’s not Jesper’s role in this story. When the letters from Wylan’s mother were introduced in chapter 3, there is a line that says that Wylan will never know what the letters say. This isn’t because he can’t read them, it’s because the letters would be destroyed before he could ever find out. The vinegar Wylan uses to escape Prior and Miggson in chapter 7 was first introduced in chapter 3 to clean up after Alys’ morning sickness. Wylan also mentions getting it out after dinner in chapter 6 because Alys looks sick again. (She’s not, she’s just sad about Marlies leaving). Wylan never had the chance to put it away because he was beaten later that night. Therefore, it was laying out in his sight right before he uses it to escape in Chapter 7. There’s a few smaller moments too, but I’m very proud of building all of these events so that they didn’t feel rushed or unexpected.

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Part Two: Selected Works

To Live in Color

Explicit | 52K | Wesper Angst, Romance, Drama, Smut, Happy Ending

CW for abuse.

Wesper Cinderella AU Unable to become the merchant heir his father wants, Wylan grew up as a servant in his own house. Everything changes when Wylan sneaks into the masquerade ball and meets a handsome sharpshooter and the criminal crew he runs with carrying out a heist at the palace.

Reading WIP (Tumblr)

General | 550 | General Angst, Medical Trauma, Wylan’s Childhood

CW for nausea and (non-graphic) vomiting.

A snippet from a WIP about Wylan’s relationship with reading over the years.  Wylan should feel grateful, he supposes, that the physician’s latest attempt to cure his deficiency also dulls his appetite.

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Part Three: Author's Recs

Daydreams says: Because I only have one fic and a short snippet, I’ll share a longer recommendation list.

Of Bronze and Blaze by amagicbeyond

Mature | 166K | Wesper Drama, Romance, Book/Show Canon, Angst with a Happy Ending

CW for smut and addiction.

The Wesper-centric Shadow and Bone, Six of Crows spin off of the Ice Court Heist we deserve. Action. Adventure. Perfect melding of canons with some new twists. Tender Wesper and a whole lot of plot!

Deal with the Devil by LoneswaggingRanger

Mature | 8K | Wesper Hurt/Comfort, Past Trauma, Past Sexual Abuse, Whump

CW for implied/referenced rape/non-con, implied/referenced dubious consent, past sexual abuse, and past trauma.

Wylan assumes the Bastard of the Barrel wants more from him than just his skill with a chemistry set. After all, that’s what everyone else in the Barrel wants from him.  Wylan has a complicated relationship with sex. He still wants Jesper but… it’s complicated. An amazing gritty depiction referencing what Wylan’s survival in the Barrel entailed before meeting Kaz and how deeply it affects his new relationship with Jesper. 

And Sonatas in my Head by osco_blue_fairy

Explicit | 40K | Wesper Angst, Character Study, Canon Compliant, Eventual Romance

CW for smut.

Moments and missing scenes of Shadow and Bone told through Wylan’s perspective. My absolute favorite interpretation of the time between Wylan crawling out of the canal and meeting Kaz. And Wylan and Jesper’s steamy stroopwafel date. Excellent character and relationship study. 20/10 go read it now. 

you talk of the pain (like it's all alright) by The_Lady_King 

Teen | 5K | Wesper Angst, Character Study, Abuse, Ableism, 5+1 Fic

CW for child abuse and bad parent Jan Van Eck.

Author Summary: 5 times Wylan doesn’t feel safe, and 1 time he does.  Such a realistic portrayal of abuse and the fear it creates. Wylan slowly realizes his father’s behavior was never his fault, and it’s equally heart warming as it is heart wrenching.

Show Me Yours by poorlittlegreenie

Mature | 19K | Wesper Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Character Study, Relationship Study

CW for child abuse, addiction, and mild sexual content.

Jesper and Wylan both entered the Barrel with their own secrets and shames. Slowly, they can work through what those mean for themselves and each other while being in a relationship. A fabulous character study not only individually, but together as a couple and how their own anxieties and concerns for the other affect their relationship as they get to know each other better. Excellent characterization, world building, and a deeply satisfying ending. 

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Please support our authors by commenting and leaving kudos on any stories of theirs you read and enjoy! Don't forget to also reblog this post and check back soon for our next author spotlight to come.

Interested in joining our server and getting to know our community? Feel free to request an invite via the @i-can-read-to-him ask box.

[jackwolfes]

so this isn't a t4t prompt by necessity but i see no reason why it CAN'T be and am thus submitting it as one - the crows playing party games of some kind (like truth or dare, never have i ever, spin the bottle, etc.) + wesper! whatever degree of sfw-ness you like, i have no preference (ik you have that one trans wylan fic that starts with a game of never have i ever, but ig something a little bit more camaraderie/game-related? idk i just love fics with party games for some unknown reason!) anyway. hope this helps/is interesting, and have a lovely day :)

ooooooh anon I fucking love this, I just don’t think I’d be capable of doing this in any way other than light angst 😂 bc I just eat up shit that’s like, “person a secretly has a crush on person b, and a party game unwittingly makes this crush obvious to all their friends including person b”. So like, deffo want to do THAT at some point but idk if that’s quite the vibe you mean afgdjjk