#i read six of crows but now i think i need to read shadow and bone

[archiveofourcrows]

I was wondering if you had any thoughts on how the Kuwie kiss would go now that Jesper and wylan are already in a relationship (and oh yeah, LIVE TOGETHER). I want to see the hilarious hatred Wylan has for Kuwie on screen

oh my god anon do I have THOUGHTS about this.

obviously these are my own thoughts on what I think/want to happen (as an angst fueled individual as well) and is also just a fic concept I'll never write and tbh if I had the ability to write a whole fic about this I so would. 

this is ending up being a whole mess of thoughts of the lead up and all that and I'm almost sorry about it but I want to talk about this so bad.

Okay, one thing about this scene that I don’t see mentioned a lot is that Jesper is not doing well in the lead up to it. He’s just fought with Kaz—when Kaz calls him Jordie no less—and then immediately fought with his father about the farm and him being Grisha and all Jesper has been keeping from him. When he finds Kuwei at the piano he isn’t exactly processing literally anything. And that is why he mistakes him for Wylan, not because he can’t tell them apart. Yes, Kuwei does realize this and keeps up the act to deceive him, but initially, Kuwei is sitting at the piano. Jesper is in distress. He’s looking for Wylan, and he thinks he’s found him. And what does Jesper do in emotion heavy moments? He jokes, he flirts, so he flirts with Wylan. When Kuwei responds differently than Wylan to these advances he’s actually confused for a second, he even says ‘really?’, but again he isn’t exactly thinking clearly and decides to go for it. As soon as the real Wylan interrupts, as soon as his mind is clear again he instantly sees even their minute differences down to the narrowness of their faces. ‘I was paying attention’ comes to mind, because when he is he can tell them apart instantly.

My point is it’s a specific set of circumstances that lead up to this moment, and I think they can all continue to exist in show canon. I think the argument with Colm could potentially be even worse, considering Jesper has been away for longer and has been actively using and practicing his Grisha powers. I also think this is partially why they cut the deleted wesper scene, because it in a sense displays Jesper at least beginning to give up gambling, and I don’t think they can get rid of that storyline just yet because of the things it causes in SoC when they’ve closed out some of the other storylines that are also catalysts in that plot. Am I happy with that is another conversation….

Anyways I bring all of this up to say that while the circumstances have every possibility of staying the same the Jesper going into the room and the Wylan discovering them are very different. And their relationship as a whole is very different. There’s no confirmation them living together will be carried from the deleted scene so I’m gonna leave that out, but they’ve been together for at least a significant amount of time. And they’ve just gone through this whole patch of uncertainty.

I think that after the Van Eck reveal there will be a bit of a split between them like we saw this season. I don't think they'll break up but it'll get a bit rocky through the journey to Fjerda and the beginnings of the ice court heist. and with Wylan's trauma/his father in general being their client I don't think he would really fault Jesper for being upset? Especially with the 'I don't want to hide anymore' scene between them this season. This would all naturally come to head towards the middle/end of the heist after they climb the incinerator shaft and are working to trigger the alarm. Specifically when Wylan pretends to be a drunk to save Jesper and then the Grisha attacks them and Jesper has to kill her to save Wylan. This scene with Jesper already coming to accept and develop his powers will be SO interesting to see, because even in the books when he has only just been revealed as Grisha to the crows he is remorseful and upset to kill one of his kind (another Fabrikator at that) even though he knows he had no choice in that moment. Exploring that in a universe where he is 1) older, and more importantly 2) accepting or at least beginning to accept his powers and his place in the world as a Grisha is something I really hope they explore. It’d even be cool to see it mirror the scene in season 1 when Inej kills Pavel to save Kaz. This would lead to a kind of ‘we’ll talk when we aren’t actively looking death in the face’ situation.

Except now Wylan is faced with Kaz thinking he’s actual leverage against Van Eck, and I don’t think his decision to let Nina tailor him would change in this new canon. In fact it would probably make him even more willing, because he is that much more attached to the Crows and to Jesper. He’d probably fight against lying to Jesper but conceded to Kaz in the end because Kaz. I think too that there is more room for a heartfelt scene outside of ‘maybe I liked your stupid face’ and that’s possibly why they used it this season. Because now that they're together it would make more sense for Jesper to express genuine emotions about Wylan being tailored—into someone who is actively wanted by multiple nations no less—and lying to him about it. Of course, Kaz asked him too and I think that would also be such an interesting conversation between Kaz and Jesper but I’ve already gone so off track.

Wylan will also probably be either more or less jealous of Kuwei because he and Jesper are already together, though I think more considering his self esteem issues. I would expect only in body language/action alone unless Jesper or someone explicitly asks him because again, it’s Wylan. I do legally require them to include the ‘how about I push you in the canal and we see if you know how to swim line’ because it is so iconic and they already took just girls from us. 

I’m going way to in depth with this. 

Anyways.

I wonder too what direction they will go with Wylan being tailored in the sense that he doesn’t just look like anyone, he looks like Kuwei. In the original scene Jesper says he misses Wylan’s actual features but would take any version of Wylan, but in this new canon does that stay the same when he ‘had’ un-tailored Wylan? And how would Wylan feel being with Jesper as ‘Kuwei’ knowing Kuwei has a crush on him and makes advances on him later on? I think it’s a very interesting topic and I really look forward to seeing if they delve into that at all. Personally I think they’d agree on waiting for Wylan to have his features back so that’s what I’m going with.

So considering all that, and the circumstances surrounding the scene, with the idea that his argument with Colm could also be worse, this scene gets very interesting.

Obviously now he is going to be actively seeking Wylan out, I feel like I don’t need to explain why. When he finds Kuwei he’s probably incredibly relieved, and I think he would actually confide in ‘Wylan’ about his argument with Colm. In the book, he just kind of paces the room and flirts with him, but him and Wylan are together. They already went through all of season 2, and now all of the Ice Court situation. And Kuwei not responding would probably confuse him a bit, but much like the first scene he really isn’t in his right mind. And being upset, I think he’d default back emotional avoidance and this is where we’d see that flirting from the original scene, maybe less of a ‘wanna get out of here’ and more of a ‘let’s blow off some steam’ in this situation considering. And he would know, the second Kuwei kisses him, that this isn’t Wylan. Even in the book he knows something is off, but now he already knows exactly how this kiss should go. The thing is we don’t know how long Wylan was standing there. I think Jesper would be so upset at himself for not realising and at Kuwei for tricking him, but if Wylan still sees? There’d be no doubt who is standing in the doorway, and I think the scene after this will really be so different. Maybe they’ll still have the sitting room scene before they can talk, or maybe Jesper will actually rush after him in this version. And so much changes in that conversation, because he can’t just ‘kiss whoever he wants’ in this canon. The entire rest of his POV really, Wylan being tailored back and their original first kiss would be very different. And those scenes are just, 80 million more thoughts.

What’s interesting about this too is it moves Kuwei from just having a crush on Jesper and shooting his shot (through deceiving him but still, they’re teenagers in the books) to being a bit of a villain. Not in a big SoC villain sense obviously, but knowing Jesper and Wylan are together and still deceiving Jesper and letting him talk about his dad thinking it’s a conversation with his boyfriend is a lot different than the circumstances in the books, especially aged up. I do actually like Kuwei, I think his character was interesting and would be cool to explore away from the SoC plot where he served a specific purpose (disclaimer I haven't read KoS), and I know I’m not the only one so that will be a very interesting deviation to take that really separates him from book canon and how he’s perceived by fans. But I need to shut tf up now because this is way longer than I think anyone wanted. Though feel free to ask me more questions that I can elaborate forever on.

[ragetears]

What do you need to hear right now? - pick a card!

~ this is a generalized reading, so take what resonates and leave what doesn’t! ~

Pile 1 - Phantomwise Tarot with pyrite

Pile 2 - Deviant Moon Tarot with rose quartz

Pile 3 - Crow Tarot with labradorite

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pile 1 - The High Priestess, Four of Wands, and the Queen of Wands reversed.

Key themes: anxiety, fear, self love, creativity, trusting yourself.

My friend - Spirit is telling you that you need to trust yourself! You find yourself hiding away from the unknown, and even the unknown within you. Tap into those darker, deeper parts that you've been shying away from. It's only by integrating those parts that you can become whole. You don't need to be afraid of your own darkness, you need to embrace it, celebrate it. Very much a commitment to yourself kind of vibe.

You need to learn to care for and love yourself, truly and deeply. You aren't nearly confident enough in your abilities - but you should be! Shed that self-consciousness, that fear, all that nasty stuff that doesn't serve you and step into the creative power that's inside of you.

For some of you this might look like practicing self love through ritual or other spiritual methods, diving deep into shadow work and/or therapy, or restarting creative projects you stopped because you weren't confident enough to finish them. (Also I feel a strong need to say this for my pagans out there - some of you should think about connecting with Aphrodite because she really would like to work through this with you.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pile 2 - Queen of Wands, Queen of Cups, and the Page of Wands reversed.

Key themes: Feminine and/or intuitive power and energy, manifesting, confidence.

You are one powerful person! You are in control of yourself, capable of handling many things at once. You have all the skills and abilities you need to manifest your desires - and it's time to take that step. Two queens next to each other tells me that it's time for you to step into a more "feminine" energy. Feminine, but not necessarily in the "receptive" sense. More in an "intuitive power" sense, and for some of you this might be a transition into being your true self. For others, it's a sign to take that step into what you desire. You are in control of this journey, you can trust that you know who you are, and by doing this you are healing parts of yourself.

They key word that keeps popping up for you is "manifesting". You have such an insane ability to create your own reality and bring your desires to fruition. Now is not the time to second guess yourself. You are not taking wobbly steps forward, you're far too skilled for that. There's no room for self doubt here - you know what you desire. You're past the point of walking away from your calling. The reversed Page says you might fall down but the two Queens say to get right back up because you will succeed. You can do this.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pile 3 - Death, Eight of Wands, Six of Pentacles.

Key themes: freedom, excitement, relationships, rebirth, caution.

Your life is about to change, you are on the cusp of (or perhaps you've already started!) shedding all that doesn't serve you. This has been an active process that you've been heading or even working towards, not something passive that's happening to you. This won't be easy, but you already know that and you're prepared, no matter how bad it might hurt. Something new lies just beyond the horizon of this change, something better. For some of you this might be a breakup, breaking bad habits, or cutting off toxic friends or family. You know it won't be easy, but you also know that a happier, healthier you is waiting.

It's time to move on from your old life - and swiftly. Your previous situation stifled you, held you back from your true potential. Others may not understand why you needed to leave it all behind, but that's okay, you need to put yourself first. It's time for full steam ahead on your dreams, and this movement will aid you even more in shedding all that held you back. This might be a metaphorical or literal move (for some of you I'm getting cross-country or even an international move), and don't be afraid of either.

You are reborn and you have never felt lighter or more free, but don't act rashly. Humans are social creatures after all, and we are made to rely on each other. Don't be afraid of the generosity and care of others, and freely give to those around you in return with open arms and an open heart. You will need people who love and support you, and they'll need you just as much.

It may be a good idea to take a close look at your old self, your old life, and evaluate what led you here because without active work you are at risk of falling back into old patterns and into your old ways. Also I'm getting for some of you that you really need to learn how to better manage your finances specifically or you're at high risk of ending up back in your old situation, or at least a very similar one.

[soniclozdplove]

I want to express my thanks to @quitealotofsodapop for helping me out by beta reading this part for me!!

Wukong glowered, eyes boring into the darker furred that was smirking, all teeth as he crossed his arms.

"And what are you doing here!?" Wukong growled, fur now standing twice his size, giving the impression that the creature in front of them were a lion and not a monkey. Despite this, the black furred monkey was unconcerned, grinning at Wukong, all teeth and eyes shining in amusement and something almost soft?

"Oh, nothing much. Just watching you." The Macaque taunted, moving with the grace of a panther as he approached the irate king. With every step closer, Wukong took two back and his fur puffed up in anger even moreso. Tripitaka gripped his staff tightly as his eyes began to glow red, a sure sign that Wukong was truly angry. Why, he had no idea, but he had a feeling he may have misjudged his earlier belief that Wukong and the shadow monkey may have been close.

"Will you back off!?" Wukong eventually barked, tail slamming against the ground in frustration as he tried to darting around the shadow monkey, Macaque following behind st a leasurely pace, "I've told you to get lost!"

"Now, why would I do that!?" Macaque actually purred, clearly amused by the King's outrage, "This mountain belongs to me as much as it does you, remember?"

"If you're just here to taunt and mock me, you can go! I have more important things to deal with than your nonsense right now, Macaque!"

"Oh? Like what?" Macaque chuckled, pointing a thumb towards where the pilgrims were standing, "You mean these losers who got themselves lost in time!?"

"That and also a bunch of... of other stuff! Important... Monkey King... stuff!" Wukong snapped back, aounding entireky unconvincing. "So it would GREATLY please me if you can get lost!"

"Hmm... I don't think so." The Macaque disappeared into his shadow, appearing from Wukong's own, leaning on an elbow on the slightly smaller monkey, looking rather smug at finally ending his game of cst and mouse with the king, "We need to talk about what your doing!"

"What!? No! We are not going to- not while my Master and brothers are right there!" Wukong growled back, pushing him off, only for Macaque grabbed at Wukongs wrist, pulling the other demon close, glowing purple eyes meeting red and gold.

"Fine! Then we'll go somewhere else, then. I'm sure your 'precious Master' can manage to get to your house without getting himself kidnapped!"

"What!? Mac... don't you dare- MACAQUE!!"

Whatever Wukong was going to say next suddenly tapered off as a shadowy portal appeared beneath their feet, pulling both monkies through. The remaining pilgrims glanced uneasily at one another. Eventually Wujing broke the silence with a cough.

"Should we... go after them?"

"Nah." Baije snorted, quite thrilled with himself as he snickered, "Wukong's got it handled. 'Sides, I make a point to stay outta lover's quarrels. Never know what sort of mess you'd walk into!"

"L-lover!?" Tripitaka choked at his student's words, looking at the pig in a mix of horror as Ao Lie simply seemed to consider the words before nodding sagely.

"A fair point, Brother Baije." The dragon prince complimented, "Best to leave the monkies to their courting. Based on Brother Wukong's reactions they're still quite early into it."

"A-Ao Lie!?" Tripitaka questioned his youngest apprentice, scandalized. The dragon looked unapologetically as he simply stared his master in the eye.

"Is it not obvious, Master?" The prince questioned, "The Six-Eared Macaque was clearly approaching Brother Wukong with the intent to rile him up. That's quite clear courtship behavior I've seen amongst demons."

"Oh yeah!" Baije crowed in mirth, "That was a courting dance if I've ever seen one! No doubt the two are off somewhere rolling in the grass!"

"I imagine it'd be difficult, being a pig and all, Zu Baije..." Ao Lie sniffed, "But don't be so boorish! Proper courtship is more than just physical desire!"

"C-can we not discuss this!?" Tripitaka stammered, "What on earth makes you think that Sun Wukong and that monkey are... are..."

He couldn't bring himself to say it. He had never even considered such a thing between men possible, but to learn his own pupil is being courted like that. And by a monkey who had threatened him not long ago!

"Surely it can't be so... you're fellow pupil had been far too irritated by his companions presence for such feelings." Tripitaka said, moreso to convince himself than anything. Baije actually gave another snort of laughter, shaking his head at that.

"Hate to burst your bubble, Master..." the pig explained, "But thay sorta reaction is normal in courting, especially early on."

Wujing, bless his soul, looked just as confused as Tripitaka at ther sibling's words as Ao Lie continued to giggle incessantly. Seeing their blank expressions Baije shrugged.

"It's a demon courtship thing. Demons are attracted to power and tend to take what they want, so fighting and bickering to rile each other up is a common thing, especially for higher powered demons. Never imagined Wukong would be the one getting courted, but I can see why someone might want to steal him as their mate. He's a very strong demon." The pig explained, "Curious 'bout why the dragon knows, though."

"There were a few small water demons who lived in my riverbed with me." Ao Lie shrugged, "Plus dragon customs aren't too different outside of the royal family. And like I said, I already knew the two had been close. Our Wukong had told me about Macaque, remember?"

"Why would he tell you?" Wujing asked, relaxing a bit at the reminder that this figure is someone known to Wukong even back then.

"I spend the majority of my time as a horse." Ao Lie simply said, "Wukong has a tendency to forget that I'm not a real horse and sometimes rambles to me about his troubles because horses are good listeners."

"Huh." Now that Tripitaka thought about it, it truly was easy to forget the white steeds who carried him was a dragon. Ao Lie was very good at acting in character for his role. A gale blew past, reminding Tripitaka that they were on an impossibly high clifftop, "Perhaps we can continue this conversation later. Ao Lie, do you think if you transformed into your true self, you could carry us down to Wukong's home?"

"I'd be glad to!" The dragon preened, transforming into his much larger, more powerful form that has the benefit of being able to fly, something sorely needed, "I should be able to fit all of you on my back if you hold on."

"Don't strain yourself, my friend." Tripitaka scolded lightly, "Although you and Wukong are the strongest of our numbers, I haven't forgotten that you are still considered young amongst dragons. Best to make multiple trips."

With the ease of a flying dragon, they were indeed able to make it to Wukong's hut in short order, only to find that the two monkeys were already there. Apparently "somewhere else" had been the tree next front of Wukong's hut, as when they approached it they found the two beneath the boughs of the tree, or rather, Wukong asleep beneath them with his darker counterpart guarding the king's rest with a fond, exasperated air about him that only faded when he noticed their approach. MK was also present, loudly snoring as he leaned against Wukong's other side.

"'Bout time you made it." Macaque quietly scoffed when the Pilgrims reached them, eyes still locked on the golden monkey who only let out a small squeak and nuzzled closer at the disturbance, soundly asleep. "Have a good gossip session?"

"You-" Baije exclaimed, only to freeze as the Macaque pinned an icy glare at him, gesturing towards the king and his apprentice. The message was clear, if they woke either of them, there would be hell to pay. Baije cleared his throat before repeating himself in a whisper, "How did you know we were talking!?"

"They don't call me the Six-Eared Macaque for nothing." Macaque replied as the fur near his ears seemed to shimmer and suddenly where one pair of ears were now rested three pairs of brightly colored petal like ears, "Sensitive hearing is kinda my thing. By the way, what me and Wukong do or don't do when we're together is really none of your business."

Baije paled as he realized that the monkey had heard everything they had spoken about, including his crude comments about the pair. While the pig demon was stammering excuses, Tripitaka took the time to simply settle in near the pair and meditate, taking stock of his student. The injury on Wukong's face was cleaned and bandaged, he was relieved to see, and the monkey looked far more relaxed than he could ever recall the demon ever being. On top of that his fur looked much more neat and silky, as though he'd recently cleaned it. MK too was wearing a cleaner outfit and his his face and hair free of dust and debris.

"How was your conversation?" Tripitaka asked, curious about the events that transpired after the two monkies left.

"Same as usual." Macaque scoffed, rolling his eyes, "I told Wukong he was being an idiot, we argued, so on and so forth."

"You two fought?" Tripitaka blinked, not so surprised considering Wukong's reactions to the other monkey earlier. "Whatever for?"

"MK, as usual." Macaque grunted, "I think you taught him a little too well about peace and kindness or whatever it is you buddhists preach. Wukong's gone soft, and it's affecting his training with MK."

"Is... is kindness really a bad thing in this case?" Tripitaka stammered, shocked at the venom with which that Macaque spoke of his religion, "I watched Wukong training his student and it seemed that MK was very receptive to it."

"Yeah, you think so?" Macaque questioned in return, "The moment MK realized Wukong was still holding back even after everything that's happened and saving the world on several occasions, he got frustrated and lost control! Wukong's holding back and hesitating to push MK further in his training. If he doesn't start doing better as a mentor, start taking MK's training seriously, it's going end up either giving MK a complex or hurting him! Probably both!"

"Why would you tell me about all this?" Tripitaka finally inquired, "I am quite certain Wukong would not like you talking about this to me."

"Because you need to know!" Macaque told him, exasperation bursting through, "You're the reason he's like this! You and your teachings turned him into this... weakling who's so scared of confrontation that he chose to hide away for hundreds of years rather than face someone head on! When I came back into Wukong's life, I had to trick him into coming out by threatening MK because he was holed up in his tiny hut behind some magic barrier!"

Stunned by his outburst, Tripitaka could not find the words to address what the dark monkey said. Instead, Wujing asked to his defense.

"That's no fair." Wujing explained, "It's been thousands of years, how could Wukong's changes be solely our master's responsibility? Wukong is his own person, making his own choices."

"YEAH!" Baije nodded along, "This Buddhism stuff is about peace, love, and pacifism... but just because Master took a vow not to bring harm to anyone doesn't mean Wukong has to follow it!"

"You... you think you haven't hurt anyone?" Macaque's voice became cold, the quiet now turning dangerous as his eyes began to take on a violet tint, "That you're innocent!?"

Ao Lie, Wujing, and Baije positioned themselves protectively around the monk, sensing Macaque's rage beginning to reach a boiling point.

"Macaque... please let us be try to under-" Ao Lie reached a pleading hand out, hoping to calm the monkey down."

"No! You need to listen to me and listen close!" Macaque snapped, fangs bared as his magic sparked around him, the shadows begining to exend around him towards them like the claws of a great beast, only to retreat back to him when he glanced down. A golden tail and pair of arms had wrapped around his wrist and waist, Wukong having shifted in his sleep, curling closer to the other monkey. The anger seemed to flow from Macaque like water as he took a deep breath, calming in the face of the Monkey King's unconcious affection. When he met Tripitaka's eyes, he still held anger in his eyes, but now thay anger was tempered by a deep heartbreaking sadness.

"Do you know he has a scar under that glamour he wears?" The words hit Tripitaka like a slap in the face, the Macaque's voice rough and emotional, full of so much rage he struggled he wa visibly shaking and Tripitaka was certain that had Wukong not been using him as a pillow, tail and arms curled around the larger monkey, the demon would have attacked, "That you used that mantra you claim to only be in the defense of yourself and others so much and so often that you placed a permanent scar on him that's still not healed thousands of years later!? Does that sound like 'not bringing harm' to you!?"

As if to prove a point, the Macaque waved a hand across Wukong's still sleeping face, and the golden monkey changed right in front of him. His fur became more wild and had white streaks through it, his hands rougher with sharper claws, and Tripitaka was certain that had Wukong's eyes been opened, they'd be a burning red and gold. Most damning of all, however, wete the scars! They littered his students body from top to bottom, with the msot gruesome one of all being a circular one across his forehead in a horrifying familiar shape, as though someone had tightened band around his head in an attempt to crush his head for so long it left an permanent mark.

Tripitaka was speechless.

[catdoingblep]

And some more headcanons for this crossover (some mentions of the temporary death and canonical/side permanent deaths):

Eleonor was from Ravka, and she was a tidemaker (and Hob fell for her with the speed of tv Jesper). Robyn was a squaller, but their story still ends the same.

Nikolai Lantsov is a very-very distant descendant of Hob. Not like anyone alive knows it except Destiny.  (Robyn was the only kid Hob was aware of, but he didn’t care for real before Robyn that much, and he had his slut period right after he understood that he became immortal) 

Wylan is Hob's favourite Crow because he reminds him of Robyn. Both in Wylan Wan Sunshine and how-about-I-push-you-in-the-canal moods.

Hob and Jesper are vibing together. And they both have ADHD in my mind.

Randall Burgess was in the Fold because his best friend needed to go throught it, and Randall wasn't ok with his friend taking this kind of risk without Randall on side. They both and everyone who was with them didn't make it.

Inej had a knife that was called Sankta Robert. She broke this during the basement rescue (she may or may not broke it trying to crack a fishball). Hob brought her a new one instead, durast made.

New knife is by Mad Hettie. She do not do all the durast stuff anymore by her own reasons (and these reasons somehow connected to Destiny), but she was owe Hob a favoir. They also have a very strange friendship because you cannot don't interract when you are two immortals in one Ketterdam.

Kaz was really interested by the devil in the basement not because it was connected with Jan Van Eck but because anyone was thinking that it is impossible to steal thing from basement. He had a lot of other plans with Jan Van Eck, but he likes the challenge.

Hob once was in the Hellgate as a prisoner for few days during his worst times after Eleonor and Robyn. He will not recomend anyone Hellgate (0/10 for service), and he killed himself really bruttaly to be thrown out as a corpse. He had a very important meeting in few weeks, so not like he had time to enjoy Hellgate accomodation.

Ethel Crips is a tailor, and Roderic wasn't aware of it, so she run away from Ketterdam and tailored her face. Did she tailor also John's face? Nobody knows.

Jordie was asking Death if Kaz would be alright. She said that he will not die anytime soon.

Dream will definitely be once (or maybe more than once) asked by some drunkards is he related to Kaz Brekker. 

Nina still becomes the Corpsewitch in this universe and sometimes she is able to see Death around when Death doing her job.

Ok, I do not make tumblr posts, but I have this crossover stuck in my brain (and I am having a hyperfixation on the Shadow and Bones rn), so…

Shadow and Bones (TV) x Sandman (TV) crossover, Hob canonically was involved in the slave trade.

Hob Gadling, the new owner of New Inn (a small Inn on the edge of Barel) and your local saint (yes, he is known as Sankta Robert, and he hates this) and fellow Ketterdam immortal in his six hundreds, is trying to live his life in the Ketterdam right after his Stranger missed their meeting.

He was away for a few years after planned meeting (you know, all this “die and return as your nephew from Novyi Zem” things) and just returned to the city when Fold was destroyed. He doesn’t want to interact with any of Barel’s gangs, because it is hard to hide your immortality when someone shoots you in the middle of the street (it happened before. Twice, actually).

He still tries to know all the local rumours, so he knows about Crows, and now his Inn is apparently the Dregs’ territory.

Meanwhile, Kaz is planning how to destroy Jan Wan Eck and heard a rumour about the devil in the basement.

So, whatever it is, Jan Wan Eck is very interested in it and spends a huge amount of money every month to cover the costs of Burgess. And the guards of the basement are so well-payed that no one can buy them. Wylan barely knows anything about it, he only knows that once his father said him that Burgess promised his father to guarantee that his next child will not be an embarrassment (in exchange for the favour that is taking away the Dream bc Alex wants to get rid of the ball). 

(Roderic Burgess was not a grisha himself, but Randall Burgess was a grisha and Burgess was already making a lot of plans for how he will monetize his grisha abilities and how he will use Randall in his barely legal plans before he died in the Fold and Roderick was stuck with useless otkazat'sya second son)

Crows think that maybe this is imprisoned healer because older Burgess was too old to be alive.  

(Alex considered himself “forced through circumstances” after his father died bc he was too afraid of both Dream and Wan Eck telling everybody that is in the basement)

So Crows start some shenanigans to break into the basement, and Burgess or Wan Yek heard about it and hires some killers to take them down. One of the killers? Corinthian.

Corinthian caught one of the Crows (Nina who cannot take him down because he was made from the dreamstuff?) in the side street, but Hob is passing by. And he doesn’t want some kid to be killed on his watch. 

Hob attacked Corinthian and killed him (obviously temporally) but got stabbed in the process. In his heart. With a knife. So Nina tried to save him, but once she took out the knife, Hob comes to life.

And this makes Hob involved in all the things that he tried to avoid because he didn’t want to simulate his death too soon (and these children already saw that he is immortal), and Crows offered him to “forget” about his secret. Price? Help to steal whatever it is in the basement. 

After this someone (Inej who will have very mixed feelings about Hob being a saint? like they already met some saints but no one was a slave trader in the past) understood who Hob is.

All this Sankta Robert stuff that Hob hates. He is not only a saint because he just died and was resurrected with too many witnesses, but he also did this during the period when he tried to destroy his own slavery business after his Stranger’s advice. So years after he was known as a patron of the slaves and the ones who were illegally detained.

The eternal reminder of his own mistakes. He is not a saint, ok? Just an immortal man who made a huge mistake and tried to do something right when he understood that a crime he did.

(And in that life, he was going with his real name for some time, so he cannot use Robert Gadling anymore because everyone knows his name as the name of the saint)

Idk what will be next but it all ended up as Hob saved Dream from the fishball and they got together trope, yes. Same story but with some extra Crows flavour.

(And after the rescue of the Dream he is very amused with the fact that mortals call Hob Sankta Robert. Like previously, he never paid attention to the life of Hob between their meetings, only to the Hob’s stories on the meetings, and Hob did not mention this so he didn’t know).

Hob also somehow “adopt” the Crows because they are just a bunch of youngsters for him. Like they’re in their twenties, they are totally kids for Hob. Have they already saved the world? Not changing his opinion, they are kids! Kaz is trying to resist this but unsuccessfully (he is not so unhappy with this as he shows).

[thatuselesshuman]

Six of Crows: Representation Done Right (in my opinion)

Six of Crows, for those who don't know, is a series written by Leigh Bardugo, who you may recognize from works such as Shadow & Bone and King of Scars (sister series to Six of Crows). Six of Crows is the second series in the collection, and tells the story of 6~7 teenagers with a chip on their shoulder and the ability to treat overthrowing a government figure like it's just another Tuesday.

It is one of my absolute favorite series ever, and I would gladly give my firstborn to Leigh if she asked. It has many things going for it: beautiful plot, angsty teenagers, sad backstories that spell out peak fiction, and amazing characters. In this Tumblr essay, I'm going to focus on that last point, mainly in regards to how representation ADDS to the characters, instead of feeling like a shitty Target t-shirt during pride month (forced and hella cheap).

Disclaimer: I am in no way qualified to be talking about this. I literally have just about every privilege imaginable except being a rich old man. However, I do read a lot and love literature in all shapes and sizes, so know that my yaps are coming from a good place.

—————————————————————————

Now, with that out of the way...

The 6 main characters of Six of Crows (SoC for short), are Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Wylan, Nina, and Matthias. They are all very different, so I'll go through them one by one and explain what, why, and how representation.

Kaz Brekker:

So, in terms of usual representation, Kaz is one of the more basic of the group. He's not a minority of any noticeable kind, like LGBTQ+ or a POC (person of color), but he is physically disabled. Due to an accident, Kaz walks with a limp and uses a cane.

Now, I know some people who would say that physical disability isn't as important when it comes to representation, since it's "unrealistic" for a disabled person to be kickass. And to those people I would say: have you ever met a disabled person? Like, genuinely, I'm physically disabled myself and use a cane much like Kaz, and while I could never pull off some of the crazy shit Kaz does, some of the strongest people I know have worse disabilities than me. You and I do not live in a world where a disability determines someone's worth.

And, to that point, I think Leigh proves this exceedingly well. Kaz isn't strong in spite of his disability, he is strong because of it. His disability isn't something shameful or something he needs to hide, it's something that people actively fear. He'll be the first to call himself a cripple, and the last to seem weak in any right.

But if that's all it was, the representation would be decent, but nothing special. What makes it special is that it's realistic. There are certain things Kaz can't do. A lot of simple things like walking cause him pain. In spite of this, however, Kaz wouldn't get rid of his disability. In the story, when given the chance, he chooses to keep it. Why? Because he turned a weakness into a source a strength. Kaz is literally my role model for this reason.

To conclude this, I'll leave you with a quote that can explain this way better than I ever could.

"There was no part of him that was not broken, that had not healed wrong, and there was no part of him that was not stronger for having been broken."

Inej Ghafa:

Past Kaz, I debated what I would talk about with each person. Most of them have multiple things that count for representation, which is good, but I decided to chose one for each. For Inej, I decided to focus on her Suli background.

(I'm not even going to lie, this one was the most challenging for me to write bc I wrote it last 😭)

In media, a lot of stories fall into the trap of saying the same three things about POC: 1) they aren't Caucasian 2) They have a life (sometimes) 3) they aren't white. Aka, what we would call the "token black character." No substance, usually feels very forced and fake. These type of characters seem to be written in purely for "representation" reasons, which actually leads to the representation being trash because the character's feel like corporate cutouts instead of people.

Inej, on the other hand, has a culture that feels alive. The Suli culture has conscious thought put into it on behalf of Leigh. They have proverbs and a language, they have costoms and a tangible effect on Inej. She is Suli and she is more interesting for it. Her culture doesn't feel tacked on or forced because it's a staple part of who she is, there is no Inej without the Suli.

And that's not to say that's Inej's entire character, as that wouldn't be good good either. No, Inej is many other things too. She's a girls girl, a fantastic acrobat, she's scarily good with knives, she's kind, she can be a bit scary, she's so much more than her ethnicity but that, is also a distinct part of her character. Her depth is not her ethnicity/culture but her ethnicity/culture is a part of her depth.

Jesper Fahey:

Jesper! We all love Jesper, right? I could talk about him being a different ethnicity like Inej, but I'd say a lot of the same things. Instead, I've decided to focus on our favorite bisexual disaster.

Now, for those unawares (i see you lerkers who haven't read SoC), Jesper is a bisexual character who is in a relationship with another character, Wylan. They're relationship is very wholesome, and their kiss scene is one of my favorites in the book (topped only by Kanej, sorry Nina and Matthias). I could just spend this part of the essay waxing poetic about their relationship, but that's no fun is it?

The main thing I want to focus on is how SoC treats their relationship (ie LIKE ANY OTHER RELATIONSHIP). They don't make a big deal out of it AT. ALL. past the normal relationship things. Hell, Kanej's relationship is treated as more different because they're both angsty teenagers, and that relationship is straight. The biggest trap authors fall into when it comes to LGBTQ+ relationships is that they make them either something super taboo or something so stereotypical that it hurts to read. Even though stories where the relationship is taboo are valid because of worldly bigotry, it's equally as important to stories where the relationships are just a fact of life, same as any other romantic entanglement.

In the same vein, I also want to mention the lack of stereotypes. We all know the stereotype right? One macho strong guy who's super masculine and one submissive (usually feminine-coded, go figure) guy who is typically younger, but that's more interchangeable. I, among others, hate these stereotypes for many reasons. Leigh, thankfully, avoids all of it masterfully. Yes, Wylan is a bit more reserved, but he is in no way weak. Jesper also isn't a strong macho guy, he's thin lanky teenager who likes to gamble and shoot things. He's not the super 'dominant' one in their relationship, because their relationship is EQUAL.

In conclusion, Jesper, in his relationship with Wylan, manages to dodge most-if-not-all typical downsides that would lead to certain elements to being bad or a bit bland representation. Jesper doesn't feel like a poster board LGBTQ+ guy they slap on shitty political add campaigns, he feels like a real, breathing person that just happens to have a (healthy!) relationship with a guy.

Wylan Van Eck:

I know I talked about Wylan some in Jesper's, but for this part I want to focus on Wylan's dyslexia.

In SoC it is explicitly stated that Wylan in unable to read because of severe dyslexia, leading to him being neglected/abused by his father and eventually him running away to join the Crows.

Now, let's start with the practical side of the equation. Although, as I said in Kaz's section, a disability doesn't define you, it is an unfortunate reality that some people try to use that to define you. This is unfortunately the case in Wylan's story, where his dad neglects/abuses him, sends his mother to a psych ward, then ultimately tries to have him killed. What I like about SoC, however, is that it doesn't just say "that's just how the world is, suck it up" and move on. No, it goes so much further.

During the course of the story, Wylan grows from believing his father and feeling shame about his condition, to using it as an accepted part of himself. He grows as a person not because of his shitty father, but in spite of his shitty father. Many people, having seen Wylan's story, may say that Wylan's father is what made him who he is, and therefore Wylan's father was necessary. You know what SoC says to that? It gives those people a big ol' middle finger.

Wylan, in order to grow in both self-confidence and happiness, had first get AWAY from his father. Wylan isn't who he is because of the abuse he endured, no, the abuse was a hindrance to his growth. He was only able to become who he was after he had people who cared about him and truly didn't care what others deemed "shameful" about him.

These things both make a statement about how society treats people who are different, and makes Wylan seem like a real person. It is simply not reality that a totally fine person can spawn out of a broken, abusive household, but it is also not often that the person is broken forever with no other qualities. Wylan is not his dyslexia or his trauma, but instead he is a normal boy with many interests and tendency to blow things up that had to grow out of his self-hatred sowed in him by his father.

Nina Zenik:

The wise, the woman, the icon, Nina Zenik. I love Nina to a fault. She is one of the few that her story extends outside of the Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom timeline into King of Scars/Rule of Wolves. That's not to say we don't see the others, but a good chunk of her story is seen in the KoS series. Now, even though this is the case, we're going to mostly focus on Nina in SoC/CK with how she artfully uses and discards gender roles at her whim.

We all know the traditional 'gold standard' for women, right? Blonde, ultra feminine, skinny, and above all: submissive to men. There's nothing explicitly wrong with most of these attributes, but when they're forced on everyone? That's when it becomes a problem. Through Nina, Leigh shows that, while most of these attributes aren't inherently harmful, you can still be a badass while not exactly fitting the mold.

Nina is a bold and outspoken girl with brunette hair, a plump body, and a love for all things food and fashion. She's the first to tell Kaz that his haircut is ass and the first to down every waffle in the room. Not only are these attributes realistic to women, since I too love myself some waffles, they also break the traditional 'gold standard' while still keeping Nina feminine.

Some authors, in the pursuit of breaking gender roles, make a super tomboy character that basically forsakes being a woman. While those people do exist and are valid, most women aren't like that. I don't think those characters are always good representation because they aren't breaking gender roles, they're just reinforcing the idea that you have to act like a man to get anywhere in life.

Nina is good because she still has feminine attributes. She loves fashion. She's a girls girl. She's sexy and she knows it. While you don't have to have those attributes to be feminine (obviously), it shows that you don't have to abandon your feminity to be badass.

Matthias Helvar:

Matthias! Some of you are wondering how I'm going to connect Matthias to representation, aren't you? He isn't a POC, LGBTQ+, or even disabled in any (canon) way. He is like me, truly the default settings of the world. This seems to disqualify him from the representation talk, but I would disagree. He aids the representation not by being apart of it himself, but showing how two different cultures can coexist, even with opposing values.

Matthias is from the country of Fjerda, which is characterized by it's highly traditional ideas about women, religion, and just life in general. They believe that women should be subservient to men, and that Grisha are witches that should be killed without mercy by a special army called the Drüskelle. And guess what? Matthias just so happens to have been raised as a Drüskelle!

Throughout Matthias/Nina's backstory, Matthias first captures Nina as a Grisha but then falls in love with her. Nina soon 'betrays' him and they have a falling out, but they eventually rekindle their relationship (that was a small no nuance summary for a huge arc spanning multiple books, so I suggest you read SoC/CK if you haven't). Through this arc, we see Matthias go from bigoted to acceptance WITHOUT losing his culture or religion.

I think a lot of stories get the bigotry -> acceptance pipeline wrong in that a lot of the time, a character completely loses their culture and/or religion in the process. While that does happen sometimes, it shouldn't be the meta. Not being a bigot boils very simply down the principle of not being an asshole, regardless of your culture. I have my stakes in this as I'm Christian, yet here I am making a whole Tumblr essay on representation. You don't have to lose your entire culture to not be an asshole.

Leigh does this very well with Matthias, as by the end of the story, he's still a Fjerdan and still wholeheartedly believes in Djel, but he's changed in that he's no longer an asshole about it. He still has that part of him, just without the added bigotry. My favorite part of his arc is at the very end when he tries to convince a fellow Drüskelle that he doesn't have to live that way. He coexists and accepts other cultures without losing himself, and that's very important when it comes to representation.

—————————————————————————

In conclusion, what makes representation good representation is that it adds to the character, not takes over the character. No one wants a character where their only character trait is that they have dark skin or that they like someone of the same gender. They want depth, they want humanity. Representation isn't a crutch to add depth to an otherwise blank character but a tool that can reflect real life in the way that none of us are exactly alike, and we don't have to be.

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

Hi lovelies, I know I reblogged a post about the S&B news earlier but I just want to put my own words out here real quick.

I’m slightly late writing this because I spent the last 30 minutes or so watching the wonderful wonderful wonderful brekkerbybrekker on Instagram live and it was honestly just a full half hour or me crying whilst I watched her cry. I feel like we all know her but if anyone doesn’t she’s on insta and tiktok and she’s absolutely brilliant so do go give her a follow.

The Grishaverse has been part of my life actually for only 2 years, nearly 2 1/2, and I say only because I feel like I have been part of this world forever. I read Six of Crows in May 2021 and I had finished reading the series by September. I think it was in June that I started watching the TV show, after I’d read the first Shadow and Bone book. So although I read the books first, or in the case of S&B the books that were relevant to the season, I have never existed in this fandom - and definitely not as an active part of it - without the show there. And really the main thing I want to say is please please please don’t let this fandom end because we don’t have the show anymore. I know it existed before me but I also know that we got a lot more traction because of the show, you can see that in the way the popularity of it spiked before the release of season 2, and I don’t want to lose this because I love it here so damn much. It really hurts that we won’t be able to see our beloved, wonderful cast in all the futures we’d hoped for, and I really hope they know just how much we love them. This is a difficult revelation, but we will continue on together because we are a strong and wonderful community joined by such genuine love for such a beautiful series of novels.

Over the next few days I’m planning on reblogging the analyses of season 2 that I posted in March so if you’ve joined me since then (which I think a lot of you have since we’re so close to 1.3k thank you all so much) and haven’t read them then give them a look because I really think there’s so much wonderfulness to celebrate about that show and that’s what we need to keep doing now. I also might end up writing some new analyses of the show since I will almost definitely be rewatching it.

Deep down, I honestly really thought we were gonna make it

I know that not everyone will get why this provoked an emotional response from me and that’s okay, but please don’t be disrespectful of the fact that it did 🖤

[serensama]

I think we're getting low on onions again...

Chapter 4

Heavy dialogue, hardly any exposition. Too much bravado throughout. ALSO- I’m willing to believe in Antiva, there is a dialect of mostly Italian and one mostly Spanish. It is the only way I can take the mashing of it all in DA:VG. That is all.

Read on Ao3 Prompt 2 out of 25: Braggadocio Rivain. 

How he loved the bustling docks, the scents of the sea and the vibrant, carefree atmosphere of the coastal city. There was no better place apart from his beloved Antiva. 

The city was always livelier whenever big names fought in the Hall of Valor- and with Rook in the city as Isabella’s headliner, it felt almost like Satinalia with the amount of people clamouring about. Everyone wanted to see the person responsible for leading the charge against the Elven Gods and saving the world. 

Apart from the buzz of excitement and the heady aroma of rich spices- there was something different in the air. As he moved between the market stalls, a familiar tension began to coil in his gut, like the soft whisper of a shadow moving just beyond his sight. 

A voice broke through the din of the evening crowd. 

"Well, well, if it isn't the infamous Zevran Arainai. I heard you spent most of your time in Ferelden now," the voice was smooth, not unlike his own, with the same lilting accent of his homeland. Zevran turned, his hand instinctively reaching for a dagger. Standing across from him was a man, sharply dressed in impeccable dark leathers, his eyes gleaming with the calm confidence of someone who knew exactly what they were capable of. 

Lucanis Dellamorte. 

Lucanis had no intention of ever taking up the outstanding contract on Zevran. It was almost an urban legend within the Crows, that only those who wanted to die took it up, and this angel of death granted them what they had so craved. He did not give it much credence, he knew the target was just a highly skilled Crow with a grudge (not that he could really blame him). 

Lucanis never thought he would come across the man, the world was wide and if he wasn’t looking for him, the odds of finding him were little to non-existent. But the Maker worked in mysterious ways. When he saw an elven man with golden hair and tattoos along his face sitting beside Isabella, he knew exactly who he was looking at. He had the tell-tale posture of someone who had once been a killer for hire, the dark glint of experience in his eyes—the former Crow was unmistakable, even after over 20 years since leaving his House.

"There is a contract on your head," Lucanis said without flourish, not wishing to do a disservice to the legend before him. This did not need flair, or a witty rejoinder to follow up the killing blow. "You can come quietly, or you can resist and die. Either way, you're coming back to Antiva to answer for your crimes against House Arainai."

"Ah, the newest Talon himself. Your reputation precedes you, Lucanis. Must we do this? I had not intended to join in fights in or outside of the Hall, but I must admit, I am intrigued. It has been a while since I’ve had a good scuffle," Zevran smirked as his fingers danced idly over the hilts of his twin daggers. "Tell you what, Fledgling —if I win, I walk free, and you return to Antiva empty-handed with an amazing story to tell. If you win, I will go back with you and face whatever punishments await. What do you say? Nothing too formal like a duel to the death, some Talons can take time to kill and I’d rather make it in time for the opening rounds at the Hall of Valor."

The ebony haired assassin narrowed his eyes, sensing the weight behind Zevran’s challenge. Plainly said it was obvious the man didn’t want to kill Lucanis, but he firmly held the belief that he could. There was no hesitation in his stance, and he expected no less, as one could not exterminate six Eighth Talons in succession through sheer luck alone. 

"Very well. Let us see if the man truly lives up to the stories history has told about him."

“Ahh you flatter me, Fledgling. To know that the Crows still speak about me warms the cockles of my heart,” the older assassin grinned whilst he unsheathed his weapons, the steel glinting in the light of the setting sun. 

“In truth, you are mentioned as more of a cautionary tale, a ‘don’t do what this idiot did and bring shame to all of Antiva’, sort of deal,” Lucanis chuckled as he pulled out his prized wyvern toothed dagger. 

Zevran threw his head back in laughter, his own daggers hanging limply at his sides. “Wonderful! Nothing makes me happier to know this. Well, it has been fun, Baby Talon, but let us make this quick yes? I would like to get something to eat before the show starts.” 

Lucanis rushed forward and the civilians around them dispersed quickly, far too used to seeing this type of scene happen in their city. Whether it was a fight between pirates, lovers' spats or just two very drunk people, it was not uncommon for disagreements to end with blood being spilled. The two rogues were left in a large circle in the middle of the thoroughfare for the two to fight without the worry of hurting a random passer-by. 

For the most part, it seemed the two rogues were evenly matched. Zevran still moved with the grace and agility of a Crow in his prime, his blades flashing in and out of the fading light as he tried to find an opening in his opponent’s defences. Lucanis danced around nimbly with sharp, precise motions- each step and slash made with the controlled, measured quality his House was renowned for. Zevran was as fast as Lucanis was shrewd, and neither could afford any mistakes. The two were a blur of steel and shadow, determined to test the other’s mettle.

“This cannot be it, Baby Talon,” Zevran clucked his tongue at him, knowing that the man trying to kill him was holding back. “If you do not pull out something special, I will be taking that pretty dagger with me as a prize.”

Lucanis knew he was taunting him to make a mistake, to get a rise out of him and if it were any other weapon, anything other thing- he would not have reacted. But this was Rook’s first gift to him, he valued it more than his own heart. Lucanis’ eyes blazed as a surge of energy wrapped around him like a cloak. In an instant, he took to the air with eyes aglow and the ends of his wings sharpened – to cut the Old Crow!-  for threatening to take something that was theirs. Zevran cursed under his breath as Lucanis darted well above him making him impossible to reach, weaving through the air with inhuman speed.

Zevran, however, was no stranger to adversity and was always on to think quickly on his feet. 

“The rumours of you being a good old fashioned abomination are true then? My goodness it has been a while!” he yelled out over the clashes of their weapons.

“Not abomination! Partners! We made a deal!” Spite sneered as he dove once again, his raw power undeniable but his movements erratic and void of the focus Lucanis had.

“You see, that is exactly what an abomination would say,” the older Crow snickered as he continued to skirt around him. “I’ve killed my fair share, though not enough to get a fancy and apt nickname like you, oh Demon of Vyrantium,” he guffawed, ducking a swipe aimed at his face that if it had connected, would have rendered him blind and vulnerable. 

“Oh you think I’m fancy? I’m honoured,” Lucanis retorted, taking back to the sky. “But make no mistake, the greatest honour will be collecting your contract and putting this business to rest after all these years!” 

Their weapons sparked after Lucanis’ attack was blocked, pushing the former assassin closer to the edge of their unofficial arena. They stilled for a moment, both breathing heavily and sizing the other up, before Zevran managed a soft laugh. 

"You will make a fine First Talon, Lucanis, truly. You have been a worthier opponent than most," he complimented the younger man, rolling his wrists and spinning his blades with unexpected dexterity for a man so long out of the Crow’s employ.

Lucanis dropped lightly to the ground, his eyes narrowing. He was not so green to trust that his enemy was not biding his time or using it to plan something to gain an advantage over him.

"My thanks. You’re not bad yourself, it is a shame the Crows lost you, you would have made a fierce Eighth Talon yourself if you had been so inclined. But your kind words will not win this battle, Master Arainai. You will answer for your crimes against the Crows."

Zevran, ever the charmer, flashed him a devilish smirk. It was not the first time he had heard those words and he knew it would not be the last. "Perhaps I will not win today. And you are right, I will have to face the consequences of all my actions eventually. But not today, and certainly not by you."

Lucanis’s lips quirked slightly as he looked at the elf, respect passing between them hidden underneath their snarky comments. A silent understanding born from their journey as Crows; fraught with hardship, and all the pain, blood and tears shed to get them both where they stood. 

“Before we continue, I hope you can humour me, First Talon.” 

“Certainly.”

“Tell me, Lucanis, are you as turned on as I am right now?” 

Lucanis asked Spite to repeat what Zevran had said, unsure if he misheard the man. Apparently, he did not. 

“What?!” Lucanis balked, afraid his eyes were bulging out of his head. He was a trained master assassin, things did not often surprise him but that- that random and invasive question confounded him. 

“Come now, you are a handsome young man, you must know this dance well,” Zevran grinned at his challenger's reaction.

“Dance of Death? Absolutely. Dance of whatever the hell you think is happening between us? Not at all!” Lucanis lurched, taking an unconscious step back. This was exactly why he preferred to get in and out as quickly as possible when it came to his contracts, whenever he stayed too long things got awkward; not much one can say to someone they’re there to kill without it being a little uncomfortable. Mind, he’d never been this kind of uncomfortable with a target but he supposed there was always a first for everything. 

“Look at you! So young and innocent to it all- it is so refreshing! The Crows sure have changed since-”

“Since you brutally and systematically slaughtered those Eighth Talons? Yes, yes they did. Not completely, and not all for the better, but changes were enacted thanks to the uh... consistent changes of leadership we faced, or so I was told,” Lucanis admitted thinking back on his past conversations with Teia and Viago. 

Zevran smiled and looked far too proud of himself for Lucanis’ liking upon hearing how he shook up the inner workings of his once beloved Crows. He felt like celebrating, not fighting- change was progress, change was good.

“I propose a new duel, we take each other to bed and the first one to fall to the raptures of bliss, has to let the other one go. The Loser has to be edged for the rest of the evening,” Zevran said as his eyes raked over Lucanis’ body appreciatively. “To be fair though... I wouldn’t mind being the winner or the loser.” 

The younger Crow stared at the lascivious man like he had just passionately made out with Caterina in front of him. 

“As...flattering though misguided your attempts to pitch woo at me are, I must deny you and insist we continue as we were,” Lucanis replied, cursing his body for reacting to the ex-assassin’s flirtations, his cheeks burning under the man’s gaze. Zevran was older, yes, but as an elf, he remained somewhat out of time’s clutches and looked merely 5-10 years older than the new head of House Dellamorte, and still as handsome as all the senior Crows had described.

“Pity. It would have been fun to frolic about with you and your lovely inamorata,” Zevran teased, falling back into a crouched position and readjusting his grip on his daggers. “Rook, right?” 

“You will not. Touch. Our. Rook!” Spite seethed with jealousy and possessiveness, monstrous waves of energy pouring out of him, alarming the crowd around them. “You should not breathe the air she breathes. We pity. For your chosen. You are Disloyal. Unfaithful. You dishonour them.”

The change in Zevran’s demeanour was imperceptible to most, but not to Lucanis. At the mention of someone the assassin held dear, the man’s bloodlust finally reared its head. 

“Your demon friend has quite the mouth on it, Baby Talon,” he hissed with such an edge that had it been a knife in his hand, he would have been the one to claim first blood. “You should teach it to speak only when spoken to and only on matters it understands. Your inamorata must be desperate indeed, to choose to lie with an abomination.”

“Old Crow talks too much. Knows nothing about our Rook,” the demon said, glaring at the blonde rogue, spinning his knives menacingly.

“Is that so? Well I do know that my Sereda is by far the most exquisite being to walk the world, in Orzammar and Thedas, and even so- she chose me freely.”

“My Rook is incomparable, resplendent and unrivalled in both the physical world and in all the Fade! The woman could have anyone but she has decided to stay at my side.” 

Zevran scoffed, pointing the tip of his blade at Lucanis’ head at the implication that anyone was more beautiful than his lover. 

“Sereda once killed seven enemy soldiers in succession using only her bow, three arrows, a dagger and a fork. She somehow managed to beat 2 of them to death with the end of her bow.” 

Lucanis snorted at his vain attempt to one up him through his lover’s accomplishments. For who could outdo Rook? 

“That’s nothing! Rook killed 20 darkspawn in a matter of 5 minutes- including two ogres!” 

“Impressive. But Sereda, an exiled dwarven princess, managed to make the human nobility of Ferelden bow to her whims and follow her judgements. She united clans of elves, werewolves, mages and dwarves to fight for her, together, under her command!” 

“Quite the feat. However Rook was once a Tevinter slave, and she rose up to defeat a blighted Qunari conqueror and saved Treviso from occupation- and that wasn’t even part of her saving the world, she just did it because she is a good and kind person!”

“Blighted? You want to speak of Blights? Sereda, was the Warden who ended the Fifth Blight in a year and killed an Archdemon! And during her downtime she chose the next King of Ferelden and Orzammar!”

“So what? Rook played personal matchmaker to Fen’Harel and the Inquisitor at the same time as stopping the whole world from being destroyed by the Elven Gods! On top of that, together we’ve killed two blighted dragons and two Archdemons!”

“...You did?”

“What... like it’s hard?”

“Seriously. How are you not turned on at all?”

“I know I am!” someone else chimed in behind them, startling the two rogues. Perched on top of a stone bench was Rook, grinning widely at them and waving all too casually. “Please continue, as a Lord of Fortune I heartily believe in relishing in one’s successes. Continue on telling everyone how amazing I am, Luca! Please, do not stop on my account. I’m about three more outlandish compliments away from orgasm.” 

The dwarf standing beside with her arms crossed shook her head and chuckled at the younger woman, her brash nature reminding her of herself back when she was running amok on the surface more than 20 years ago, flirting with everyone with a pulse. Rook glanced over her shoulder and turned back to the warring Crows. “Oh and please continue saying lovely things about my new friend Sereda Aeducan! Isabella introduced us, apparently the two of them go way back!” 

Zevran sheathed his daggers and smiled at his lover, leaving his neck thoroughly exposed to Lucanis. A rookie mistake. He had to exert more influence over Spite to ensure the demon did not prey upon it – it’s right there Lucanis! I could even bite him to death! -knowing that the man knowingly chose to end the match and no longer wished to fight. He could not bring himself to strike him down in good conscience, especially when Rook was looking at him so intently. 

“Principessa! Where have you been? I’ve been walking up and down these docks for hours waiting for your ship to come in!” he called out, completely disregarding Lucanis as a threat. “I was getting bored but some entertainment found me and kept me busy for a time.”

“I can see that Zev,” the Hero of Ferelden replied, glancing over to the First Talon. “Let me apologise for him, unfortunately once a smart ass Crow, always a smart ass Crow. I hope he didn’t cause you too much trouble.”

“Mi Amore! You wound me! I was minding my own business, when this man decided he wanted to collect on my long standing invitation. Did you just want me to accept and get killed for the sake of forgoing a little trouble?” 

“Zev, I do not believe that for one second!”

“It is alright my Lady Aeducan, he was no bother to me at all actually,” Lucanis called out, offering her a deep bow, scandalising the former Crow. Zevran, known for his quick wit was unable to reply with anything other unintelligible noises and offended expressions to anyone who was paying attention. Which unfortunately for him was no one but Spite, who cackled manically beside him. “It is a great honour to meet the Hero of Ferelden, I read of your accomplishments whilst growing up, I never thought I’d ever get the chance to have the pleasure of meeting you.” 

“You realise that I was the Warden’s companion throughout the Blight, yes? I helped!”

“Yes, yes that’s nice Arainai. Say, Lady Aeducan, have you ever come across a wyvern in your travels? I know you’ve travelled extensively and wanted to know the best places to go to see one in the wild nowadays.” 

“Oh yes, you’ll find the Hissing Wastes have many, and Crestwood has been known to have a few there too,” she replied, giggling at the childlike expression of awe her newest acquaintance wore. “I adore them, I spent three whole days just camped out at the Wastes, just watching them all go about their business. If you get me a map, I can mark where they were last and where I camped.”

“That would be amazing, thank you! I adore them too! Rook! Imagine, three days of wyverns!” Lucanis chirped excitedly. 

“I can’t believe I’m getting ignored for a glorified lizard,” Zevran whined, catching Rook’s eye who smiled at him apologetically. 

“Before you get too invested in planning our trip to the Wastes, Lucanis, Sereda and I were chatting and she told me Morrigan was also her friend. She was part of her team battling the Fifth Blight- what a small world right?!” Rook squealed, her feet tapping against the cobbled stone path. 

“Friend is… such a strong word,” Zevran chuckled as he took the dwarf in his arms and stole a kiss from her, not frightened to display his affection in public. Lucanis had a sneaking suspicion the elf probably enjoyed being watched. “Let us say she was a good acquaintance. A friendly tag-along. A mostly cordial associate who only occasionally threatened to make us eunuchs if we came a little too close to her fire at camp.” 

Rook hummed thoughtfully to the woman who assisted them since the start of their journey. “Are you remembering right? Our Morrigan was always so polite and personable, I can’t think of her to be anything else.” 

Zevran stared at Rook, his expression full of doubt and then back to Sereda who looked at the mage with surprise. 

“Huh. The only time Morrigan was ever personable to me was when I stole her mother’s grimoire for her… and then again when I killed her mother for her,” Sereda thought back, scratching her chin. 

“Ahhh that Flemeth! Part of me wished we had let the old bird live. If we got her out of the swamp and into some nicer clothes- she could have been a Wynne-level beauty and maybe she would have let me rest my weary head on her bosom.” 

“Was that before or after you beheaded her?” Sereda snorted. 

“YOU BEHEADED MYTHAL?” Rook shrieked, horrified at what she had heard. 

“Mythal? What are you talking about? Who is Mythal?” Sereda asked, openly confused. 

“The All-Mother of the Evanuris and my people! She was an elven goddess who took refuge in Flemeth!” Rook grimaced, remembering her time with her in the Fade. Thank goodness she hadn’t tried to kill her and just used her words- how many times was that woman murdered?! 

“Well hey look at that Baby Talon, my Sereda helped kill an Elven God too!” the fair-haired rogue rejoiced, finding another reason to brag about his lover, the woman in question only staring at him and shaking her head at his need to best the other man. He was impossible. 

A loud voice called out over the crowd, reminding them that the matches were set to start in one hour and to get to the Hall of Valor as soon as possible if they wanted seats. 

“Oh we need to go, Sereda!” Rook quipped, “They’ll be waiting for us.” 

“Us?” Lucanis asked, brow crinkled with curiosity. 

“Isabella managed to twist my arm and have me fight in the arena with this one here,” the dwarf grinned, pointing to Rook with her thumb. “Isabella has pools running on which one of us will be able to get more kills.” 

“I’m willing to take Sereda for that bet,” Zevran said, pulling out his rather hefty money pouch and jingling the coins within. 

“Not so fast, I’ll double it, in favour of Rook ,” Lucanis countered and brought out his own very sizable purse from inside his jacket. 

“Not possible, Signore, for I will bet thrice of whatever you will put down!” Zevran chimed, pulling another pouch out from the sash at his waist. 

“Alright, alright, I can see where this is going- no need to pull out all your sacks and measure whose is biggest,” Rook grinned, waggling her eyebrows. 

“Well there’s no doubt, obviously the heir to the House of Dellamorte is going to have the biggest sack,” Sereda said matter-of-factly, much to the irritation of her lover. “But if we’re talking cocks, that’s got to go Zev.” 

“… I beg your pardon?” Rook asked, her laughter ending abruptly. “No no, Lucanis has the biggest sack and cock arou-”

“Child, the thing of beauty between my man’s legs-”

“… Do you feel a little dirty?” Lucanis asked Zevran, watching as their partners loudly debated their penis size for all of Rivain to witness. 

“Yes. And not in the good way,” he answered, his face clearly displaying his distaste at the downward trajectory their discourse was headed. “Ladies! Ladies- truly the only way we can ever know is if we all band together tonight and we celebrate the old fashioned way- an orgy with Isabella. For old times’ sake.” 

“… One orgy, 20 years ago and I will never live it down,” Sereda muttered, sending him a look of muted annoyance. “Come Rook, let me see what this generation of god killers can do.”

“Hey did I hear him right? You killed a soldier with a fork?!”

“Yes, it’s remarkably easy. I’ll show you when we’re in the arena.”

The two Antivans watched on as the women linked arms and headed towards the Hall, leaving both of them standing alone in the streets. Their original purpose for fighting each other long since forgotten after talks of wyverns, gods and testicle euphemisms. 

“So,” Lucanis began, “it seems you did manage to charm the Hero of Ferelden and keep her for all these years. I guess not all the stories about you were as embellished as your fighting prowess has been.” 

Zevran bit at the knuckle of his forefinger, laughing at the audacity of the younger Crow. 

“I like you Baby Talon, I think you and I will become good friends yet, orgy or no. So please don’t make me dispatch my first, First talon. There are not enough Dellamorte’s to succeed you like in House Arainai.” 

“I’d like to see you try. Unlike Rook, I also know how to kill someone with a fork.”

Zevran sighed happily and threw an arm over Lucanis’ shoulder, ignoring the hiss from the demon that resided within him. If the future of the Crows, and the world, were in the hands of Rook and her Talon, perhaps it wouldn't be too long until he could return to Antiva as a guest and not as fugitive-

“He might be okay with you. But I don’t like you, Old Crow. I’ll eat your face when he goes to sleep.”

… Maybe not.

[seleneprince]

Magische Linten (Magic Ribbons)

Contains: Dutch expressions (as a fandom, we forgot too fast that Kerch is a fantasy Dutch and that Kaz used dutch words in the books, like "ja". We should remember it). I used the translator for this, so if there are any mistakes, please let me know. Mentions of the Wandering Isle's culture about Grisha, which includes blood and questionable medical practices. Use some ocs. Saskia is a real character in the books, if you read them, you know who she is. I simply created an oc based on her.

(This follows the plot of the first book, Six of Crows, and not the show Shadow and Bone, althought it will contain references to it because I loved it too)

"There's no way"

"Seriously, I'm not lying"

"It cannot be true"

"Yes, it is. I can vanish anything in my hands and make it appear again somewhere else"

"¿Are you a Grisha?"

"Natuurlijk niet!* It's only a magic trick. I learnt it by watching one of those men with colorful clothes in the street. I think it's called 'illusionism' or something like that"

Saskia frowned. She knew what men he was referring to, but she never heard that word before. It sounded suspicious in her ears.

"¿Aren't what Grisha do basically magic tricks too?"

"Well, technically yes, but it's not the same. Anyone can do this if they learn and practice enough, but not everyone can do what a Grisha can, no matter how much they learn"

"I'm not sure. That trick you said sounded very Grisha-like to me"

"Fine! If you don't believe me, let me show you. I swear it has nothing to do with Grisha."

Saskia didn't quite buy it. It wasn't like she was worried that the boy would hurt her, but what he said sounded very weird. Where she came from, it was said that Grisha were dangerous and the only good thing they had was their blood, which could cure sickness. She remembered briefly when a doctor took some blood out of her when she had fever, and she cried the whole process. She couldn't understand how Grisha were capable of going through that so often, and voluntarily at that. They weren't normal.

But if he said he wasn't a Grisha, Saskia chose to believe him. Her "father" told her these boys were innocent, simple-minded. Her new friend had no reason to lie.

"Oké*, but make it fast. And if you hurt me, I'll hit you"

"I barely have to touch you, I just need something small. A pencil, or a button"

While they looked around them, Saskia brushed some strands from her eyes. She hated how her "mother" styled her hair, with ridiculous ties and curls. That's when she felt one of the ribbons she wore, and had an idea.

"Here", she took one of them off and gave it to him, "Use this"

He blinked at her, surprised.

"¿Are you sure? I don't-"

"You say you can make it appear again, ja? Besides, I have many more like this, so I don't mind if you lose this one"

He stared down at the red ribbon in his hand, his cheeks blushing in a expression akin to flusterment. Like he was holding 100 kruge in his palm instead of a simple piece of silk. When his eyes met Saskia's again, there was no sign of that expression. She was silently impressed with his quick facial control.

"Oké, now let us start!"

He smiled with confidence, and Saskia couldn't help but smile in return at his enthusiasm.

The boy proceeded to turn the ribbon around in his hands, twisting it with before her eyes, until suddenly...it dissapeared. Just like that, she was seeing it clearly one moment and the next she didn't anymore. No noise or twitch that signaled where it went. Saskia's mouth was wide open.

"What the-how did you do that?! You had it in your hand, I was seeing it! How is this possible? It just...vanished"

Instead of answering, the boy chuckled at her. He extended his hands towards her wrist, slowly, and stopped right where his fingers brushed her pulse point. He became still for a moment, worrying Saskia a bit with his lack of movement. Then, with a graceful twist of his hand, he started to move his hand away, and Saskia felt something soft sliding down her wrist.

It was the red ribbon.

She couldn't hide her fascination.

"Dat is geweldig!* How did you do it? I didn't feel it getting under my sleeve, nor I noticed it was there. How can it be?", she narrowed her eyes in suspicion at him, "¿Are you sure you're not a Grisha?"

When her eyes focused on him, she saw something weird. His cheeks were blushing, which didn't make sense because it wasn't that cold in the room. They had been mostly near the functioning chimney since they arrived. ¿Was he getting sick?

"Hey, ¿are you alright? Your face is getting red"

"Ah, uhm, I...it's nothing. I was just nervous that...it didn't work out. Yup, that's it", the boy shook his head, like he just broke out of a trance, and scratched his neck as he turned his eyes away. "And ja, I'm sure I'm not a Grisha. Like I said, anyone can do this"

"Oh, oké then", she had the feeling there was something else, but she got distracted quickly. "Well, I can't do it, and I'm very smart"

He chuckled softly.

"It has nothing to do if you're smart or not. You can't do it because you never practiced. If you tried, I bet you'll do it better than me", his cheeks reddened again, and Saskia thought he looked very cute like that, "You're the most talented person I know. You'll be probably good at everything."

"Well, I wouldn't say that either," now it was her turn to blush, "I read a lot of books, and my brot-my parents teach me many things, so that's why I know some stuff."

There was a pause between them, a comfortable silence that felt unusual in them. Whenever they were together, they talked nonstop and they didn't know how to stay still. Which was good for Saskia, because she couldn't stand silences. They made her nervous and uneasy, and she couldn't afford that. Not with him.

"Can I tell you something, Saskia?"

His voice sounded low out of sudden, and his eyes were fixed on her.

"Natuurlijk*, why do you ask?"

"It's just...I really like being with you and I don't want to bother you."

"I don't think you can do anything to bother me, dummy. Go on, what is it?"

He looked at her straight in her eyes, smiling shyly, but with a firm determination sparkling in his orbs.

"You're beau-"

The door was slammed open, showing Saskia's "father" and another boy with him.

"Here you are, ducklings", the man's deep voice captured the children's attention, "I'm sorry, boy, we lost track of time. Saskia, say goodbye to your friend, they're leaving."

"But pappa*, we still haven't-" she stopped herself when the man gave her a significant look. She bit her lip and nodded. "Oké"

They stood up, with Saskia brushing off her skirt and the boy fixing up his jacket. They walked side by side towards the exit, with Saskia's father and the older boy in front of them.

Just when the brothers were about to leave, her friend turned back to her abruptly.

"Wait! Saskia, take your ribbon. I forgot I had it", he extended his hand towards her, with the red silk still in his fingers, but the girl shook her head.

"Don't bother, you can keep it", she pushed his hand back gently. "It's a gift."

He stared at her perplexed.

"What are you saying? Are you sure?"

"Ja. Consider it a thanks for showing me that amazing trick. I loved it", she showed him a genuine smile, and he looked away again. "And if your hairs grows, you can use it to tie it back."

He scoffed playfully, glancing back at her with another smile.

"Yeah, sure, keep dreaming. No way I'm wearing that", his face softened. "See you tomorrow, I guess."

Something warm twisted in Saskia's chest. She pushed it back where it came from.

"Ja, see you tomorrow. And I hope you bring some new tricks. Now I want to see more of them."

He chuckled. Saskia was starting to find the sound very pleasant. She thought she wouldn't mind hearing it more often, and a sense of dread assaulted her. She shouldn't be having these thoughts.

"Ik beloof het*"

And after that exchange, they bid their goodbyes, both still smiling as the distance between them grew. She felt the firm hand of her "vader*" squeezing her shoulder almost painfully. A silent reminder.

A warning.

"Didn't you hear? The Black Tips are dust now. That idioot Geels emptied the vaults to get on the Dregs' bad side, and the Brekker demon sent them all packing with their tails between the legs."

"Ja, they even came up with a song for it. 'The Durstraat is on fire and the Dregs don't have no water'. I heard it when I passed by their nest."

"Cocky klootzakken*. But I guess we can thank them for riding us from those rats. One less headache to deal with."

Those were the first sentences that Diantha heard as soon as she set a foot in the Emerald Palace. She twirled her way through the gaming tables towards the bar, expertly avoiding the waving hands and listening their talks about the latest news. The fall from grace of the Black Tips.

It didn't catch her by surprise at all. She already heard what happened on her way to the Palace, and haven't she been busy with her last minute assignment at First Harbor, she would've likely gone to witness the whole mess in front row from one of the rooftops. However, she didn't feel dissapointed for having missed it, considering the interesting events that transcurred in First Harbor and that she got to see by herself.

In the bar counter, she found Jesse rearranging some bottles and greeting her with a nod.

"Welcome back, Krett. I take it that it was a successful inspection."

"What makes you think that?"

"Your clothes are still intact and you don't have an ounce of dirt on your face, so I assume there were no fights or accidents. Plus, you have that spark in your eyes from when you got your hands on something valuable and can't wait to show it."

She grinned. She didn't expect less from the Emerald Palace's head bartender. After so many years working behind the counter, Jesse learnt to be particularly observant with people, which allowed him to charm them into a false sense of trust as he filled their cups and pried secrets from their loose mouths. Also, he had known Diantha since she was a kid, freshly initiated into the Dime Lions after her brother, so it wasn't surprising he could read her so easily.

"Well, the boss may feel conflicted with the news, but I think it'll distract him enough from the last fiasco."

"I hope so. I'm afraid he's going to be in a sour mood for the following hours, and it'll be nice to keep his attention away from us."

"Is he really that pissed about the Black Tips?"

"I guess it has more to do with the Brekker boy twerfing his plans once again rather than loosing those oafs."

Diantha felt her body tense, just like everytime someone mentioned him.

Kaz Brekker, the Dregs' lieutenant, and Pekka Rollins' biggest headache. His long story of crimes and blood stained hands, all in the name of profit, gave him the nickname Dirtyhands. Because there was no line he wasn't willing to cross to get what he wanted. People whispered his name in fear and cowered at the sound of his lethal cane tapping the ground as he walked. Not even the Dime Lions were immune to his terrifying presence, but they knew better than to show it when Rollins was near.

She would never admit it, but Diantha was also a bit intimidated by him. Their paths had crossed only a handful times, but when they did, it always ended with painful reminders carved in each other's skins. Some of them permanent and impossible to conceal, just as the one she carried on her left hand, or the one that made him rely on his cane to move. But that wasn't what made her feel so wary of him, no.

It was his eyes. There was just something in them when he looked at her that made her very...uneasy. Like he was about to lunge at her at any moment, but she couldn't figure out when. It unnerved her, not being able to predict his movements. He looked at her like that even since before the "incident", so she assumed it was due to her being a Dime Lion. They were enemies after all, and he was clearly set on ruining Rollins' empire, so it made sense he despised her. The "incident" just gave him another reason to do so.

She shook her head to expel any thoughts about him. It wasn't the time to divagate about whether the Bastard of the Barrel had personal reasons to hate her or not. Plus, trying to figure out the mind of someone like him would only drain her own sanity in the process.

Right now, she had crucial information to report to her already angry boss, and Saints knew how he could get if she made him wait.

Kaz Brekker had no power over her, but Pekka Rollins very much did and would gladly use it. And that was enough to push Dirtyhands out of her head at once.

"Really? You think it's wise leaving it like that, with the Black Tips still fuming and crawling around?"

"It's the right course of action. By the way, go call Jesper and Muzzen. I want them here at sunrise. And have Wylan wait for me at the Crow Club tomorrow night."

"Wylan? If you say the job is so important..."

"Just do it."

Inej crossed her arms, glaring at him with the same sharpness as her precious knives. He was sure she was considering murdering him right there.

"Are you going to give me any details, Kaz?"

"Once we're all reunited", he put on a clean shirt and buttoned it up as he walked to his dresser. "This isn't an order, Inej. It's another job, which you're free to accept or deny."

He finished with the buttons, throwing on next a grey vest with little pockets sewn discreetly underneath, perfect to keep tools he didn't want others to find out. Just when Inej opened her mouth, probably to ask something again, someone knocked at the door.

"Kom binnen*" he answered, barely looking at who entered.

It was Rotty, with a solemn expression that clashed vastly from his previous cheeriness.

"Hallo*, sir. We just received news from the Shu's cargment of gold that arrived this morning", he spoke in a rush. "The Merchant Council plan on keeping the ship docked at the port, under the stadswacht's surveillance, until further notice."

"Well, it was to be expected. That stunt Shu Han pulled made their plans a bit more complicated for the future. They'll refrain from touching the gold until they're completely sure of it", he hummed. "But why are you telling me this? That cargment of Shu gold isn't a priority now."

"Sir", Rotty stuttered, avoiding Kaz's dark eyes. "Pekka Rollins knows"

The temperature in the room went down drastically. Kaz freezed in the spot, under Inej's attentive gaze.

"And...?"

He had a feeling of where this was going. Rotty never stuttered before when he mentioned Rollins to him, unless...

"He sent one of the Krett siblings to cover First Harbor, sir."

There it was.

He felt that familiar fire at his stomach, like everytime he heard that name. He could feel the burning climb up his throat, setting his insides on an inferno.

He let out a raspy, humourless chuckle. He should have expected it. Pekka Rollins wouldn't have turn away from such a delicious, tempting treasure, not when he was still trying to plant his roots inside the Merchant Council's core. And of course, he would have sent his favourite puppet to follow the whole operation.

He knew one of the Kretts was out of the Barrel at the moment, so that only left one for the job. Her.

"Thank you for telling me, Rotty. This definitely supposes a change in our plans", he pulled out a new set of gloves and fastened the buttons around his wrists, rather hastly. "We should reconsider First Harbor's importance for us. You can leave now."

Rotty nodded and left the room almost running. Inej eyed him warily. She knew too what that information meant to him. What the infamous lioness caused.

"What do you have in mind now, Kaz?"

He didn't answer inmediately. His gloved fingers went inside the drawer again, brushing against a worn out piece of red silk he kept hidden in there, only for his eyes to see. A trinklet from a painful dream, a reminder of what his goals were.

He closed it again with a loud thump, before walking out of the room without a single word, leaving the ribbon hidden underneath the documents once again.

(One day, she'll be hidden too, where only he could see her and grasp her)

A/N: Inspired by my discussions with @stayconnecteed about her awesome aus for six of crows and my own silly headcanons. She also happens to be the one who came up with that beautiful cover, so all credit to her. And @mrsmiroir, because we both wanted to see more of Saskia so my mind created this.

TRANSLATIONS:

-Natuurlijk niet!*: Of course not!

-Dat is geweldig!*: This is amazing!

-Ja*: Yes

-Oké*: Allright, okay

-Natuurlijk*: Of course

-Vader/Pappa*: Father

-Ik beloof het*: I promise

-Idioot*: I think this one is pretty obvious

-Klootzakkenn*: Assholes

-Kom binnen*: Come in

-Hallo*: Good evening

[evilwickedme]

I just. Ugh. Oh my God. The fucking PARALLELS this season of Good Omens. Y'all know I'm an absolute fool for a good parallel, so to get so many? I'm so well fed today

Crowley and Azira are like, the definition of soulmates of the kind that are made, you know? Like there is no one single other being in the whole of Creation that shares even a fraction of the same experiences. Six thousand years in the making, this ship is - even more according to this season !!! And YET, they are absolutely brand new. They've never been in a romantic relationship - not with each other, not with anyone - and as Crowley pointed out, they've essentially just gotten out of toxic relationships with Heaven and Hell. Except like, not really? Because we see Crowley really got out Heaven so heavily traumatized he never really put all that much stock into Hell. Yeah, Hell might've still been abusive, but Crowley was halfway out the door the whole time. Azira, tho... He still buys into all of it. He's technically out the door, but he hasn't done any of the deprogramming you need to do in order to move on (I feel like I'm mixing my metaphors a little by using cult-related languages, but also abusive relationships are essentially two person cults, so)

And this season sets this dynamic up so perfectly with Nina and Maggie!!!!! And we're supposed to think that Nina is Crowley because she's dark and broody and Maggie is Azira cause she's frankly precious but really it's the other way around and it's Nina who finishes the season being like "I can't be in a relationship right now because I still need to work on myself having just ended an incredibly toxic relationship" and it's just. Nina and Maggie don't end the season together because that's not what they need right now and bc of that they might still be able to be together later, but Crowley and Azira hold onto each other SO DAMN HARD that they end up losing each other SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE AZIRA CAN'T DO THAT SAME THING OF UNPACKING HIS BASE ASSUMPTIONS it's like leaving a cult cause they were mean to you once but still buying into the new agey stuff they used to love bomb you into joining the cult in the first place

And so that's the relationship part of things but also we've got like soo many parallels showing how broken the system is in the first place and obviously ineffable bureaucracy is what stands out here because of the literal lines coming out of various characters' mouths during this plotline but can we talk about how heavily brainwashed Muriel is and how clearly they're supposed to be exactly like a young Aziraphale, one who doesn't "have" Crowley yet!!! Like tell me that if you gave Muriel a fiery sword and told them to watch over the first ever pregnant couple in history they wouldn't give them that Goddamn sword. Nobody on either side is capable of questioning their position in life without exposure to Something Else, but it doesn't have to be like, the being you're going to run off to alpha centauri with. It could very much be a copy of The Crow Road

(sidenote, has anybody read this book? It seems like an incredibly deliberate choice but I've never heard of it! I think I might send in an ask to Neil Gaiman himself if I don't see any meta soon)

Anyway yeah um. I don't know how to end this. Parallels and shadow selves fuck (double entendre)

[savethegrishaverse]

Pankhuri Bhutani, the journalist who coined the term 'Third Army,' has graciously given us the chance to interview her. Read on for an insightful conversation, where we learn what she thinks about our campaign, what it was like interviewing the cast, what she thinks comes next for us, and more!

Here's a compilation of her interview in our newsletter issues, in order, with Questions in bold and Pankhuri's answers in text;

"It all came to me when I was reading the Shadow and Bone trilogy. There were mentions of First Army and Second Army. I was a bit confused at first trying to understand just which army included the Grishas and the Otkazat'syas. Then I perused through the Six of Crows duology as well and had a better idea.

Q&A with Pankhuri Bhutani: Third Army origin story - What inspired you to come up with a name for the fans campaigning to #SaveShadowAndBone and greenlight the #SixOfCrowsSpinoff?

One of the most memorable things about a fandom for me is the name bestowed upon them. While Shadow and Bone fans have been embodying different personas—some of them calling themselves “The Crows,” some “The Summoners,” reading the books, I genuinely believed the fandom needed an official name that amalgamated the diverse abilities of the fandom and unified their interests.

And that's when the idea of "Third Army" struck me. An army combined of both the lovers and fans of the original trilogy, as well as the iconic Six of Crows duology, alongside the King of Scars duology and all the chronicles affiliated with the Grishaverse, "Third Army" represents a union of all the fellow Grishaverse fans.

Somewhere along the lines, I did imagine the fandom fighting together as an army. And I was struck with the name "Third Army." I added it to the article I crafted for the billboard launch, and I guess the rest is history. "

Since you have followed the campaign from the beginning, what's your opinion on the different projects undertaken so far? And comparing it to other fan campaigns, is there anything you would have done differently?

To be blatantly honest, I'm not aware of a lot of other fandom campaigns. But I fairly think this is by far one of the strongest contenders out there in terms of a campaign initiated by fans with such monumental strength.

I don't think there would have been anything I would've done differently or quite distinct to what has been happening had I been involved in a wonderful fan campaign like this. But I will definitely request and wish to see more cosplays and other creative work! All of you are so immensely talented!

There have been a lot of talks about the show, and even though the future seems uncertain for now, the hard work and dedication of the fandom will probably never be forgotten.

What made you decide to go with Third Army as a name?

When going through the fandom and the petitions, a lot of people claimed themselves to be a Crow or a Darkling fan. But the fact that all these souls came together to fight for one goal made me believe there should be a united name that could be showcased and witnessed at the forefront of the campaign.

I knew "First Army" and "Second Army" being a part of the Grishaverse world, so I contemplated as to what or who might be the "Third Army" if that was ever a possibility and the first element that emerged into my mind was the fandom. The fandom is the Third Army.

What has been your favorite initiative by the campaign so far? Is there anything you'd like to see in the future?

That's a good question. The fundraiser for the billboard just showed how many people believed in the project to such an extent that they were actively ready to pitch in their own money for the launch.

I do not have a favorite initiative because I believe that even if one of the campaigns is initiated by someone with the best of their interests, it already goes into my favorite book. So, all of them?

I'm not aware of all the initiatives currently being partaken within this specific campaign but I absolutely love seeing people cosplay and talk about their favorite book characters.

The petition as well. I just checked and it has over 200,000 signatures. That's a lot!

What impact do you think having a name to unite fans has had on the campaign?

All of the popular fandoms have a highly recognizable name. Swifties, Arinators, Barbz, Army (BTS). We say the name, and the project/artist's face subconsciously appears in our mind.

You instantly know the artist and the project by the fandom's name. For instance, what comes to your mind when I say the words Potterheads, Half-Bloods/Demigods, Ringers, Thronies?

Potterheads for the fascinating world of Harry Potter, Half-Bloods/Demigods for the Percy Jackson fans, Ringers for lovers of The Lord of The Rings franchise, and so on. The name instantly affiliates a fandom with the project.

I know it's a very strange thing to say, but to me personally, a fandom also sometimes feels like a citizenship. As if you're an official member of the particular fictional world.

You have interviewed several Shadow and Bone cast members. Can you tell us a bit about what that was like? How did you prepare for those interviews, and are there any anecdotes you can share that didn't make it into the final published versions for brevity's sake?

I do believe fandom names are very impactful as it is showcased at the forefront of the project and affiliates the love and passion of all the souls who admire the work of the cast and the crew. And that's exactly what the Third Army has been doing so far!

It was a surreal experience.

There wasn't any question that I believe was left out from my interviews. Everything is out there just the way the initial interviews were conducted. It was an honor to have had a conversation with such phenomenal people. All of them were very kind and very insightful regarding their experience on the project.

I was given access to the screeners of the second season, and I based my questions on things I really wanted to ask the creatives about their performance.

At that time, there weren't any interviews out since the second season had not been launched yet, so I crafted the questions I believed I really wanted to know more about at that specific moment and hopefully ask some novel questions that weren't already thrown their way previously.

As a journalist, what's your opinion on the media’s reaction and coverage of our campaign and the cancellation?

It's actually quite a lot. Especially for a fandom initiative, I do believe a lot of phenomenal journalists and media platforms have conveyed a plethora of coverage pertaining to the unfortunate cancellation.

Everyone affiliated with this project, be it the cast, crew or even the fandom have showcased massive strength and opened up a potential turmoil for several decision-makers, further forcing them to take a second look. Just shows how impactful a united fandom can be.

As we speak, there are still many more such significant pieces coming to light.

Which part of the campaign do you think has had the biggest impact on visibility and public perception so far?

For me as an outsider, I definitely noticed the petition and the billboards that were launched in Los Angeles and London. Those were the two that come to my mind, but I've seen some posts about origami and fan-books too, which seems so kind!

I also notice so many beautiful fan cosplays, artwork, book posts and other impeccable creative endeavors that people and fans like to immerse themselves into using the world of Grishaverse. That's so cool!

Showrunner Eric Heisserer recently attended his studio meetings for Shadow and Bone wearing a Third Army badge. Coincidentally, our Discord server also has a permanent "Third Army" role for all the members. Also, Jessie Mei Li mentioned to fans at a recent convention that they absolutely loved the Third Army name! How do you feel knowing that the name you coined and bestowed upon the fandom has gotten such acknowledgements?

Oh, wow. That's so interesting. That's something I definitely didn't know! I was made aware of the Third Army badges being used during one of the conventions but not about the other lovely acknowledgements. That's a massive milestone for the term.

Very grateful for that, but I really do believe it should be the entire fandom getting the credit—not me. I'm just a journalist who came up with a name that I believed aligned more with the fandom of this amazing fantasy project.

I have personally witnessed the dedication and immense passion each and every fan has committed to the show and its hopeful renewal, so I think we should be celebrating such an established fanbase and the success of a massive campaign like this. Thank you to everyone who used the name! And all the best for your future! Hopefully, we get to hear some good news really soon! And thank you for having me!

Subscribe to our Brekkin' News fan newsletter for exclusive articles, interviews and campaign strategy updates delivered straight to your inbox every week!

[meiishu]

i have a theory on wylan and kaz in shadow and bone (the show)

Contains major spoilers for six of crows book if you havent read that and dont want spoilers about wylans backstory keep scrolling!

Rewatching episode 2 and im at the scene where the crows are at the diner, and kaz is teling the others that they cant just kill rollins. When kaz says “killing him wont clear our names…. and then we wont be able to protect you” he looks right at wylan who flinches back. I didnt catch it on my first watch (interpreted it as him talking to both wylan and nina in general) but now my brain is whirring

I think that, if we get the ice court heist, we are going to learn that wylan struck a deal with kaz for protection when he left his fathers home. If they stick as close to the book as possible for his backstory, then wylans dad tried to have him killed because he was in jan van ecks words “an embarrassment”. So when wylan escapes his fathers hired hands in the books he is protected by kaz *because* kaz knows who he is and decides to enlist the dregs protection on him since he thinks a merchers son could be useful

However

In the show, kaz doesnt run the dregs, i believe he just ran the crow club (evidenced by him first meeting and striking a deal with per husksoll in the early episodes of season 2). He wouldn’t have had the means or the power to just decide to protect this random boy who showed up in the barrel without a reason for it, even if he thought he might be useful someday

So i believe in the show, after he escaped his fathers hired help, wylan found kaz and struck a deal with him for protection from his father. And so in exchange, kaz can go to wylan for the bombs he needs, even though wylan doesn’t *really* want to help because he doesnt like what kaz uses them for. This would set up:

A) kaz knows wylans true identity. Hes always known since before even season one and also this is how kaz and wylan are already on personal terms AND how kaz knows he can trust the things wylan makes for him despite wylan’s reluctance to help

B) wylan’s hostage moment in the ice court heist. Although in the books its kind of surprising to the whole crows that jan van eck actually doesnt miss or care about wylan, the show could deviate slightly from this, or kaz could figure out the truth but not tell anyone and use it as his plan to expose jan van eck especially if jan tries to pull the pity card for his son

C) when it does come out that wylan is a van eck, especially since jesper doesnt know, when jesper finds out that kaz knew the whole time i can see that causing a huge rift between them, especially if kaz planned to use wylan as bait and *especially* if wesper is in an established relationship. Not only would jesper be upset if wylan volunteered himself for this, but that kaz even tried this at all when he knows that wesper is together. It will feel like such a betrayal to jesper. *especially* if the show has kaz almost coerce wylan *into* being bait — although i lean more towards wylan volunteering himself because i feel as though he would do that knowing kaz’s plan. Plus, wylan and kaz working together to one up jan??? PLEASE

Sorry for ranting on main cant help it im in shadow and bone brainrot i need the ice court heist and wylans backstory SO BADLY s&b NEEDS to be renewed

Also i just want to say that i highkey LOVE that wesper will be an established relationship going into the ice court heist. We have slow burn with kanej and helnik and certain scenes will hit so much harder with wesper as an established relationship. I cant wait to see how the show takes their story from here tbh since now we’re very deviating away from the books

[ell0ra-br3kk3r-writes]

The Phoenix and the Crow

part eight

pairing: (hinted) kaz brekker x fem!reader

genre: netural... maybe a tiny bit of angst?

el's thoughts: supriseee part eight!! i still can't believe i've written this much so far haha i love this part cause of y/n and zoya! i hope y'all like it too! please remember to leave comments and reblog :)

masterlist

A knocking on the thick wooden door of her room startled Y/N as she was splashing her face with water from the wash basin. “Yes?”

“Downstairs now. Your country needs saving.” Kaz’s voice was muffled through the door. Y/N’s eyebrows furrowed in curiosity, “I’ll be down shortly.” She finished getting ready and tied her hair up before leaving her room and walking downstairs. The moment she spotted Kaz and Nina sitting at a table with two others whose back was facing her, she froze. She’d recognize the back of that head anywhere.

“Zoya Nazalensky. Well, I’ll be damned.” The inferni could feel the dramatic eye roll she received in return as she walked to the table. “Old friend, how are you?”

“Y/N L/N. Thought you’d be six feet under by now.” Her tone held a biting sting to it, but the inferni knew her too well to take it seriously.

“Always a pleasure, Nazalensky.” She pursed her lips in faux disdain before breaking into a smile. 

Nina looked between the two etherealki with a wide smile, “Oh it’s like we’re in the Little Palace all over again. Isn’t this nice?” 

Kaz’s glare didn’t lighten up as he glanced at all three grisha women with the sharpest side eye Y/N had ever seen. She moved to stand behind the Heartrender and placed her hands on her shoulders. “So what’s this I hear about my country needing saving?” She shot a quick teasing glance to Kaz before directing her attention back to the topics at hand.

Zoya cleared her throat, “We need you lot to get us the Neshyenyer.”

Nina scoffed, “The Neshyenyer? Sankta Neyar’s blade?”

“So, you haven’t completely forgotten what you were taught at the Little Palace.” The Squaler leaned back in her chair with her arms folded in front of her. “Just your loyalty to Ravka.”

“Ravka? Or Kirigan?” Both older grisha stiffened at the name. “It didn’t take him destroying a city for me to question my loyalty.” 

Y/N pulled back at the sharp words that fell from Nina’s lips. She knew she should’ve run far before Alina came to the Little Palace, and she was ashamed to say how long it took for her to finally think over her loyalties. 

Jesper cleared his throat, “So, now that we all know that you two have history, what’s the payment for this job?”

The Shu man finally spoke, “Name your price. It matters that much.”

“Who are you?” The inferni questioned.

“Toyla Yul-Bataar. Member of Prince Nikolai’s personal guard.”

Nina opened the letter handwritten by the prince of Ravka himself. Everyone looked over her shoulder to read it. 

“Is that the Lantsov family crest?” Wylan asked.

“You know it is because it’s hideous.”

Y/N snorted but collected herself quickly.

“Prince Nikolai requests your services to retrieve and deliver the Neshyener to Alina Starkov in East Ravka.” Toyla said.

Nina looked up, “She’s returned?”

“As has the Darkling. With an indestructible army of shadow monsters.” Zoya stared directly at Y/N as she spoke. 

“I don’t like the sound of that.” Jesper took another sip of his drink.

Y/N shook her head in denial, “That can’t be. We saw him in the Fold. Zoya you were there, he-”

“We didn’t see his body. He’s back, Y/N and he’s stronger now. Or so he seems to be with these new puppets of his. That’s why Alina needs the blade to kill them. It’s the only thing that might work.”

Toyla spoke, “Retrieve the blade and the Prince will pay whatever you ask.”

“I like the sound of that.” Jesper downed the rest of his glass.

Zoya turned from the zemini to Kaz, “I assume the same goes for you?” He nodded, “I’d welcome the chance to help your prince spend his country’s money.”

“I don’t need kruge. I need to get someone out of Hellgate. The Lantsovs, they must be able to pull strings with the Kerch government.” Nina vocalized her thoughts.

“For a certain Fjerdan?” Zoya’s tone held a smugness to it. She smiled, “He must be quite the slab of fur.”

Toyla stepped in, “The offer is the offer. Prince Nikolai is a man of his word.”

“But we need to go now.” Zoya’s voice turned assertive. 

“It’s settled,” Kaz folded his arms, “We’re in.”

“And your Wraith?” The squaller asked, “I was expecting to see her.”

“She’s gone.”

“No, she’s not. Not yet. She’s-”

“Not an option.” Dirtyhands threw the sharpshooter a glare, ending the discussion then and there.

~

“The Neshyenyer at Ahmrat Jen is definitely a fake.” Kaz limped towards the group standing around the bar. Zoya rolled her eyes, “Which we told you. Perhaps now you tell us something we didn’t know?”

“According to my contacts, it’s been stolen by a thief known as The Disciple. He had a penchant for stealing Saint-related relics while on jobs.”

Y/N hummed, “A thief and a collector.”

“And retired.” Kaz made eye contact with her briefly. “But he has since put a few pieces of his collection on the black market.”

Toyla nodded, “So, to get to him, we go to his fence.”

“Ohval Saran. She has a tea shop in Bhez Ju. To speak to her, we’re going to have to order yellow chrysanthemum tea, off menu.”

Nina turned to the shu and repeated the type of tea in his mother tongue. “It pairs well with sesame rice cakes.” He told her. Nina smiled, “Let’s discuss.” She walked to him, “Tell me more.”

Kaz shoved passports into Wylan and Y/N’s hands before walking to Jesper and Inej.

Zoya placed a hand on Y/N’s arm, “You look ill, L/N. Don’t tell me you’ve been holding back on your practicing now.”

The latter sighed, “If only you’d’ve known what we’ve been up to. I haven’t had the chance to use my power lately. I didn’t think it was that noticeable.”

“It wouldn’t be to just anyone, but I’ve seen you at your strongest. No one else here could say the same now could they?”

The inferni smiled, “I’ve missed you.”

“It hasn’t even been a few weeks since you saw me last.” Zoya rolled her eyes fondly, “You’re just dramatic.”

“Only for you, my love.” Y/N threw a wink at her as she got up to go pack her things.

~

Shu Han was a colorful city, always bright and full of light. It was a stark difference from Ketterdam and Y/N was loving it. Walking the streets she could smell all the different street foods and incense floating through the air.

Toyla walked to an altar that had candles and burning sticks of incense. Inej, Zoya, and Y/N followed shortly, all wishing to pay their respects to their lost loved ones. Toyla said his prayers in shu and the girls just knelt before the altar.

“When the fold moved, your aunt…” Nina sat down beside the squaller. Zoya avoided her gaze and that was all Nina needed as an answer. “Zoya, I’m so sorry.”

The suli shook her head, “Who here hasn’t lost someone?”

Both Y/N and Zoya leaned forward to grab the burning sticks and held them to the flame, saying their prayers.

Kaz, Wylan, and Jesper stood at a distance watching the others perform their religious rituals in patience. That only lasted so long before Kaz walked to the four girls still kneeling. “You two, we have a teatime to make.” Nina and Inej quickly stood, following Kaz down the street.

Y/N’s eyes strayed to follow the all-black silhouette before it got lost in the crowd. 

“So, Brekker?” Zoya stood and dusted her skirt off, waiting for Y/N to rise as well. The inferni looked at her sharply, “I don’t know what you're talking about. I hardly know the man.” 

“You don’t have to know him to fancy him.” Zoya nudged the y/h/c-haired girl as they walked from stand to stand looking at all the foods and sweets. 

“I’ve been with these people for hardly a few weeks now, Zoya.”

“But he’s caught your eye, yes?” 

The lack of response caused the suli to snicker. “Well, once this war is over you’ll have plenty of time to get to know him.”

Y/N shook her head, “Who said I’d be going back to the Barrel? You brought it up yourself, loyalties. Ravka is my home. She’s my country, and I’ll serve her till my dying breath.”

“You’ve done beyond enough for Ravka and you know it. No one would blame you even now if you decided not to fight or come back home. You need to go and make a life for yourself. You above anyone deserves that.” Zoya rested her hand on her friend’s shoulder.

“I’m not the only one who deserves peace. I would blame myself for not helping my country. I don’t do anything to meet the expectations of others, you above all people should know that by now.” Y/N turned her head and saw Toyla waving them over to where he was seated. She smiled and nodded before turning back to Zoya. “I’ll think it over though. Making a life for myself, that is.”

The two grisha walked to the table Toyla sat at. “What are we watching?” Y/N followed his line of sight to see Jesper and Wylan talking at a firework stand. He chuckled, “Jesper attempt to get his man back.” Zoya rolled her eyes while Y/N hummed. 

“Toyla?” Wylan walked over calling for him, “Toyla could I get your help?”

The inferni stood on her tiptoes and looked over to Jesper mouthing ‘What happened?’ To which he just shrugged, his shoulders dropping in defeat.

The group got up to keep walking around, all looking at different stands and carts that piqued their interest. Someone shoved into her back, she turned around to tell them off but noticed the familiar black silhouette continue his way down the street, stumbling into people with every step. 

Y/N quickly followed after him, threw herself into his back to stop him in his path, and wrapped her arms under his, around his chest, pulling him into her. He thrashed in her arms as she moved him to a more secluded section of the crowded street. She released him quickly and backed away, giving him space. 

Kaz was breathless as he curled into the wall behind him. Y/N watched him carefully making sure he was alright and noticed his lack of gloves. He turned his head enough to look at her for a split second before he flinched farther away from her causing her to back up slightly and nod to herself. “I’ll be back.”

He barely heard her voice over the panic and buzzing in his mind. Flashbacks of his brother and the bloated, rubbery skin of the corpses plagued him as he tried his hardest to get control of his breathing again. His bare hands clutched the metal head of the cane, holding it tightly against his side as he slid further down the wall. His shoulders ached while the wall dug into his muscles painfully. His lungs burned from the uneven rapidness of his breath. He tried calming it by breathing in through his nose, keeping his mouth shut but that only caused his body to falter and panic more. He closed his eyes and twisted the cane between his hands feeling the metal and wood beneath his fingertips. 

He didn’t notice Y/N’s return till he finally opened his eyes and noticed that she placed his leather gloves beside him, making sure to keep her distance from him. Not sparing her a glance he picked up the gloves and held onto them for dear life, feeling as if he could finally take a proper breath. “Did Inej-”

“She followed Ohval Saran.” Y/N kept her voice low in order not to startle him again.

“And Nina?” His eyes started to clear and he was beginning to gather his senses.

“She’s fine. She’s with the others.”

He nodded and took a deep breath before looking over at the girl beside him. She looked paler than when he first met her, her fingers thinner. Overall she looked weaker. She’s a grisha. He couldn’t recall a time when she used her power since the bomb in the accounting office. He took a mental note to assign her some role so she could use and practice her power again. Despite her physically looking weaker, her eyes never let go of the same kindness that they held from when they first met. Her y/e/c-eyes sparkled with concern and care, but they didn’t smother him, making him want to push her away. No, instead he was drawn to it, and that terrified him. Never before had he felt so comfortable and relaxed in the presence of someone he didn’t know. Never before had he felt the need to constantly look over and make sure that person was alright or just simply to admire them from a distance. 

Kaz couldn’t exactly place a name to what he was feeling, but he had become a master at controlling his emotions and he will learn to rein this one in one way or another. 

~

“Ohval’s not just a fence. She’s The Disciple.” Kaz sat at the table in the center of the room with Wylan and Zoya. Nina lounged, fanning herself, on the couch with Y/N while Toyla stood next to them and Inej sat on a stool behind Zoya. Jesper closed the doors to the room for privacy.

“What… What tipped you off?” Wylan asked.

“Her tea cup. When she set it down, she did so without a sound.”

“And her heartbeat never fluctuated once. It held at one beat a second like a clock.” Nina sat up straight causing Y/N to lean closer and fix her skirt.

“So, she can control her heart rate and her emotions.” Toyla held out his bag of walnuts to the two grisha on the couch, each taking one. 

“Those are useful skills for a thief,” Wylan noted.

“Now’s the part where you tell us where the blade is.” Jesper spoke cooly as he leaned on the wall closer to Inej. 

“Ohval has it. Her signal to the waitress to spill tea on me told me as much.” He clutched his cane a bit tighter. “It’s as if I know you.” The zemmini smirked. Kaz ignored him and continued, “And if she’s not going to sell it to us, we’ll just have to take it. After Nina and I ordered the tea, I had Inej follow the tea shop employee who was sent to notify Ohval.”

“She lives just outside the city. When she stopped at the tea shop, she placed an order at the apothecary that she’ll be picking up tonight. I watched her home for a while and no one came or went except her.” Inej said while twirling her butterfly knife between her fingers.

“So, while she’s out of the house, Nina will tail her to make sure she stays out of the house. The rest of us will go in and grab the blade.” 

Once Kaz finished speaking Zoya scoffed, “You don’t seriously expect me to break into this woman’s house.”

“Uh, why do you think we’re here?” Jesper asked jeeringly. 

The squaller turned around in her seat to face him, “I’m a soldier, not a thief. Why else would I need you, criminals?” 

Y/N chuckled, “There’s much less of a difference there than you think.”

Zoya rolled her eyes and said, “I’ll go with Nina.” Making the heartrender choke on her snack and quickly clear her throat. “Are you sure you don’t need me?” She asked Kaz. “I mean, Zoya can tail Ohval.”

“Nina and Zoya will wait for Ohval at the apothecary. Follow her. If she starts heading home, buy us some time. Distract her.”

~*~

taglist:@rachelcarroll1819 @xcharlottemikaelsonx @khaleesihavilliard @simrah1012 @foulkryptonitepeanut @astridyoo15 @queenofshinigamis @peakyispunk @jahayla-parker @maliciousbrekker @brekkershadowsinger@winstonthecow22 @lee-says-things@bunneex@writingmysanity@sleepynightchild @madnessinwrighting @romanticvampire if there is a cross through your url.. i couldn't tag you, sorry!

[deadlymaelstrom]

A Letter Dated Six Months Ago [COMPLETE]

If Rook is an Antivan Crow:

Idiot:

I hope you're reading this. If the trail really has led you to Tevinter, it'll be harder to get messages through. The Antaam in Antiva are prickly about anything to do with our neighboring kingdom.

Back home, things have cooled, but they are not forgotten. Killing all those Antaam may have felt righteous in the moment, but the Talons are still complaining that your actions ruined weeks of setting up a larger, more effective strike.

I am one of those Talons still complaining. Consider this trip with Varric a contract. Crows don't fail contracts, especially Crows from House de Riva who may need to improve their judgment. But there is more at stake than honor. Whatever this Solas is up to needs to be stopped. I've seen enough of his handiwork to know that.

Don't get careless out there. Don't fail, and don't get yourself killed, or I will come after you in the Fade myself.

Viago

If Rook is a Grey Warden:

Warden [surname],

If our calculations are correct―and none of us have gone astray―this letter should be at the inn where you and Varric are to meet Scout Harding. As with Varric, we worked with her before. She's a good scout and a good shot. We think you'll like her. Please tell her we say hello!

Anyway, to the point! It's probably best you've gone to work with Varric a while. Our superiors in the Wardens can't deny that the village is safe and the darkspawn stopped. But they are still not especially pleased with you. Or your methods. Or the people who helped with your plan. Evka and I have been given a somewhat remote assignment that no one else wanted. But we are no strangers to that! We've enclosed a list of addresses where you are most likely to reach us for the next few months. Should you need.

Finally, do not feel you are in exile. We know something of what Varric is after. When the world needs protection from malevolent forces―that's what Grey Wardens do! You're in the right place.

Be vigilant and stay safe.

Your Friends, Antoine and Evka

If Rook is a Mourn Watcher:

Watcher [surname]:

Thank you for the latest dispatch concerning your venture with Master Varric Tethras. Given that you've spent much of your life in the Grand Necropolis, traveling further north must be a stimulating prospect. And you will be relieved, no doubt, to hear that the crypts have been silent since your departure. Some of the other Watchers continue to censure your methods during the War of the Banners, but I will work to ensure that they reconsider while you are away.

Master Tethras's claims that this "Solas" is an elven god bear witnessing. Even if Solas is merely a renegade mage using spirits for dire purposes, that alone is call for a Watcher to oppose him.

Vorgoth and I wish you fine luck on your journey. Remember: even outside Nevarra, the dead are ever ready with their supernal aid.

Watcher Myrna, Keeper of the Seals

If Rook is a Shadow Dragon:

[surname]:

Good to hear from you. I hope the North is treating you well, even if your quarry remains elusive.

Things here in Minrathous go about as well as expected. Venatori presence continues to grow, the result of an obscene amount of gold being funneled into the cult by sympathetic magisters. Some of the Shadow Dragons have had run-ins with some of them, particularly the ones seeking revenge for your shutting down of their slaver ring in Nessus.

But don't trouble yourself. This is nothing we can't handle. For now, focus on your work with Varric. A strong alliance with someone with ties to the Inquisition and Kirkwall can only benefit the Shadows and the people we serve.

Bring the light, and good luck, Viper

If Rook is a Veil Jumper:

[surname],

Strife has finally given up sending teams out to rediscover the route that was lost. Without the magic in the map, the paths will not open, and the map is gone. I know it was difficult for him to make the final decision. You could see the angry vein in his forehead for days after.

Now maybe he can start to move past it. Most of the others have already. But, of course, as the leader of that mission, he views your defiance, and the outcome that resulted, as something of a personal failure. We will give him time. You being away is a blessing, and we all hope that your work with Varric Tethras is going well.

You will be glad to hear that some of the younger Veil Jumpers are quite excited about you being on the trail of the Dread Wolf himself. You must regale them upon your return.

Irelin

[sixofcrowdaydreams]

Shadow and Bone: A Long Form Story in A Short Story Medium

One of the reasons the cancellation of Shadow and Bone hurt so much was because we spent two seasons properly developing the characters -- especially the Crows -- waiting for plot and character development that never had the time to pay off.

The writers wrote the show as if they would have time to introduce the characters and let them grow across multiple episodes and seasons. A smidge of characterization here. Plot. A dash of development there... They were telling a long form story, you know, as expected in television. And the reality is that streaming platforms in their limited episode number and even more restrictive number of seasons does not allow for slow but progressive story telling anymore.

Streaming story telling is short and concise. It demands self contained short stories and caps character growth to a single season, if not a single episode.

That's why it hurts so much that we never saw the six Crows together. Two seasons of establishing character, slowly but steadily setting up the plot, building toward the Ice Court Heist and subsequent events of Crooked Kingdom would be expected in a "normal TV series." But the mentality of streaming services is that if it doesn't happen in a single episode or season, then it won't happen at all.

Think of all the things in Shadow and Bone that were hinted but not directly addressed. Kaz stealing Jan Van Eck's DeKappel painting. Inej getting a lead on the name of the slavers that stole her from her family. Jesper's gambling addiction. Wylan's inability to read, but still being well educated. Matthias' affection for wolves and the importance of his ash tree. Nina defecting from Ravka.

All of these would have been addressed later if given the time.

Now think of all of the things that were hinted at and then the show came back and properly addressed within two seasons. Kaz's backstory, his gloves and haphephobia. Inej's indenture to the Menagerie and her desire for freedom not only for herself, but for other indentures. Jesper happily sharing a bed with a pretty face only to wind up in a stable relationship with a former one night stand. These story beats paid off because their progression felt natural. Earned. Elements were introduced and built upon.

Now imagine what could have been. Established big eater Nina refusing food as she recovers from parem. Former grisha hunter Matthias protecting Jesper and Kuwei, two grisha. Kaz removing his gloves and emotional armor for Inej. Jesper's carefree facade a mask to cover his personal pain and gambling addiction. Wylan's merchling identity revealed. Heck, let's take it a step farther and imagine the scared, hunched shoulders, trying to shrink himself as much as physically possible Wylan we first meet in season 2 bravely standing in front of his father and the merchant council to "read" a transfer of property document. The groundwork laid seasons 1 and 2 would have established these significant moments in order to give them the full weight and authority the deserved.

When fans mention scenes or dialog from the books that were bastardized in the show, like the Kanej bathroom scene taking place at Black Veil only to be interrupted by Nina, I'm not angry that scene wasn't a perfect replica of the scene from the book. Why? Because we were also supposed to get that perfect bathroom scene adaption one day and compare it to the earlier version to show character growth. Kaz unable to take his gloves off at Black Veil to help Inej tend her wounds to THE BATHROM SCENE where he takes off his gloves, bandages her, and kisses her neck.

Imagine the impact of Jesper casually telling Wylan, "I kinda like your face," to one day yelling, "I liked your stupid face," in anguish when Wylan takes Kuwei's appearance. These build ups were happening, they just needed more time.

The problem of Shadow and Bone being canceled was that the writers were creating a long form story in a medium of short story streaming. The two were never compatible, but that's not the writers, producers, or showrunner's fault. They were telling a story and attempting to do it well, not take shortcuts and cheat via dialog exposition. If given the chance, I think the writers and everyone involved in the show would have given the Crows characters more space to breathe, to simple be characters instead of rushing from plot point to plot point. After all, they filmed the deleted scenes of Jesper's and Inej's goodbye as well Jesper offering Wylan a key and moving in together. These moments were cut for plot pacing reasons, not character development reasons.

Netflix and streaming services are the problem because they have destroyed TV's long form story telling by demanding breakneck pacing, limited seasons and episodes to tell a story. Shadow and Bone's Crows were unfortunately a casualty of it.

[imruination]

There are very few pieces of media that speak to me on what I can only describe as on a spiritual level, and one of those is Shadow and Bone, written by Leigh Bardugo. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Six of Crows and I think it’s an important story that needed to be told for so many reasons, but there’s something so special to me about the simplicity of Shadow and Bone.

When something is simple, it has to be done well. Yes, Shadow and Bone is on its surface a good vs. evil story which we have seen in media time and time again. I think what stands out to me about it is ironically why so many people call it (or specific things about it) “boring.” There are a lot of important themes, but my favorite is the emphasis that is put on the power of being “ordinary.”

I was 15 when the first book came out, and I read them as they were released. I spent a lot of my childhood reading fantasy books because escaping into them made me feel special, in a world where I felt at once completely ordinary and like a total outcast. This feeling only got worse as a teen, as I would spend a lot of my classes, and even my lunch period reading these books. I understand that this is a feeling that a lot, if not all teens feel. I am not special even in my isolation. I spent so much of my time pretending I had some incredible hidden but innate magical powers.

Shadow and Bone was incredible to me for the very reason why I constantly see it being criticized by my peers and even my friends. The idea of “power” being seductive, while also inherently being corrupt, and fueling the class system and poverty that the entire population is living under, (but Alina as the protagonist is being exposed to a lot of it’s worsts) is something the reader is constantly being reminded of.

Alina is put in a very unique situation by being a girl who holds incredible power as a grisha, but was not raised in that knowledge. To her, the power was suddenly thrust upon her, which made it a lot easier to eventually see the flaws in the entire system. So to read about this protagonist my own age, who had the option of power, was tempted by even more of it in the darkling and the amplifiers- and to give it all up in the end was mind blowing to me.

Alina goes from despising her upbringing and general hardship, to ultimately embracing the simplicity of it. Alina is THE Main character™️ and she ends up as a powerless orphan, in love with another powerless orphan she’s known her entire life. In the realm of all my fantasy books I’d been reading, there was nothing “special” about that. And yet, in it’s difference there was.

Alina’s privilege in making her own choices was special. Her choice to not be controlled by the pillars of power around her. Her choice to embrace her upbringing, and help those who will grow up the way she did. Her choice to accept the love she had had her entire life, that although was not seductive and dangerous, was reliable and enduring and all the more powerful for being that.

It is really surreal and almost funny to see it being criticized for these things now. You think Alina and Mal are boring? Well so did they. And then they grew up and learned better. This is the first book that I can think of in hindsight, that made me wonder if I actually did have this very ordinary but incredible power in myself. I have the privilege of making my own choices. I have the power to love others, and isn’t that incredible? From a person who has now grown up and gained some perspective for myself… Thank you Leigh.

[emmy-everafter]

We're Gonna Need a Bigger Pentagram

I'm excited to finally reveal the fic I've been working on for this year's @grishaversebigbang --and just in time for spooky season! I was paired with four incredible materialki who created some truly excellent art to accompany the fic. You can check out their work here:

Art by @crypitick

Art by @polekands

Art #1 and Art #2 by @idkchatie

Art by @discountscoobyart

Without further ado, here is the first chapter of We're Gonna Need a Bigger Pentagram!

Fandoms: Six of Crows, Shadow & Bone (TV)

Rating: T

Relationships: Crows as found family (with minor Helnik, Kanej, and Wesper)

Modern/Housemates/Magic AU, Nina POV, Supernatural chosen family shenanigans with a side of humor

Ongoing (Ch. 1 of 6)

Summary: Nina Zenik is a vet med student who's almost done with her clinical rotations... but she's also secretly a very powerful witch. When someone brings a cursed, injured werewolf into the animal hospital, Nina decides to try to save his life, despite the bitter hatred that exists between wolves and witches. She enlists the help of her housemates, Jesper (who's also a witch), Inej (who's fae), and Kaz (who may or may not be a vampire). But breaking this curse requires more than Nina bargained for, and time is running out. Can the Crows save the werewolf before it's too late? More importantly, can they do it under the nose of their all-too-human housemate, Wylan? And--perhaps the most important question of all--will Nina finally get some decent waffles?

Read the first chapter (3k) below or on AO3.

Chapter 1: Why did it have to be werewolves?

(CW for non-graphic mentions of blood & injury, harm to an animal, brief references to drugs [anesthesia, weed])

The thing about werewolves, Nina thought, risking one more glance over her shoulder at the slab of fur trembling in her backseat, was that they didn’t exactly sedate easily.

Although that was probably a good thing, she supposed. If this particular wolf had gone down after the first two tranquilizers, then perhaps she never would have been called back to help, and then she would have been too late to do anything. Did you hear about the wolf? Park ranger brought him in. Hit by a car, probably. Too bad we couldn’t save him. So weird how his body seemed to reject every medication, every suture. Oh well, c’est la vie, back to the horses and the goats.

But he hadn’t gone down, and one of the techs had thundered past, shouting at her to come quick and give us a hand!

When Nina had arrived in the operating room, she knew immediately that this was no ordinary wolf. She could feel the prickle of magic tingling up her spine, could smell the supernatural on him. He was stretched out on a table, a mountain of silvery-gray fur, enormous and blood-soaked, still thrashing feebly even as three techs tried to hold him down.

She froze, staring at the shape of his muzzle, the slope of his ears—just a little off, nothing to notice unless you knew what to look for. His head had flopped over, and for a long moment the werewolf made eye contact with her. Nina let out a soft gasp despite herself, despite the fact that she’d seen shifted wolves a handful of times before. She knew that their eyes always looked so unbearably human, and yet—it caught her by surprise, the moment of recognition when he noticed her, the heartbreak and terror and pain in his expression, the shame.

Nina felt her heart shatter, just a little.

“Zenik, grab the tranq!” one of the techs had shouted at her as the wolf seemed to regain more of his energy, breaking away from her gaze to thrash more earnestly.

She hadn’t bothered to think it through. While there was still some part of her that recoiled like a hissing cat at the presence of a werewolf, some part of her that screamed danger! at the sight of his gleaming fangs that had probably killed countless witches in the past, those instincts had been overwhelmed by the pain in the wolf’s eyes and the knowledge that if she didn’t do something right now, she would have to watch him die.

Her decision was already made, one hand already surreptitiously weaving the spell as she picked up the syringe with the other. She needed to work quickly if she was going to have any chance at all.

She didn’t know much about werewolf biology. The packs were notoriously private, protective of any and all information regarding their own species, but what she did know was that it was incredibly dangerous—impossible, even—for outsiders to treat wolves in their shifted forms. Only pack healers had any hope of actually helping in these sorts of situations. And, of course, the fact that this wolf was shifted right now was another complicating factor in and of itself. It wasn’t a full moon, which meant that something had gone terribly wrong for this wolf to get shift-stuck—some kind of spell, she guessed, judging by the oppressive feeling of magic roiling off his body.

If her colleagues—regular, ordinary human vets who had no idea the supernatural world existed at all—tried to help the wolf, she was certain he’d end up dead in less than an hour. But of course, she’d reminded herself as her enchantment began to take hold, I don’t know how to safely help him, either.

The wolf had finally slumped down onto the table, unconscious… followed by all of the humans in the room, each pausing in the middle of whatever they’d been doing, still standing but otherwise out cold.

Nina had shaken out her wrists, cracked her neck, and started weaving the memory glamour. Her first thought was to make them forget the wolf had come in at all, but that would mean trying to account for the lost time, as well as finding the park ranger later to erase everything for her, too. Removing memories was always trickier anyway—you ran the risk of leaving a gap, an itch that the brain longed to scratch and scratch until it found an answer. Her coworkers might not remember the wolf, but some of them might have an unshakeable sense that something had happened, something strange and noteworthy they couldn’t quite recall, and that meant people might start asking questions, poking and prodding.

No, it would be easier to convince everyone that the wolf had died from his injuries not long after arriving, that his body had already been picked up by wildlife services, that all that anyone needed to do now was complete the requisite paperwork.

It would be quick, shoddy spellwork either way, and she’d probably have to fudge some records in the database during her next shift, but figuring out a plan to save the wolf came first.

The moment the glamour was complete, she’d whipped her phone out, putting the call on speaker so she could keep her hands free.

Genya picked up after three rings. “Hey, what’s up?”

“I need a favor,” she’d said without preamble, maneuvering a trolley over towards the wolf. It had probably taken four people to lift him up onto the table, but Nina had magic and gravity on her side.

“Okay…?” Genya sounded nervous, and given the wild sorts of favors she’d asked for in the past, Nina couldn’t really blame her.

“Can you get in touch with your contact in the Drüskelle pack? Someone brought in a wolf today—one of theirs, most likely—and I can’t do much to help him when he’s shift-stuck like this.”

Genya had taken a moment to process all of that—a shifted, injured werewolf, brought into the East Ketterdam Large Animal Hospital as if he were no different from the farm animals and racing horses they usually treated—then finally said, “I can try.”

“Good. I’m bringing him back to my place. Have them send a healer there.”

Genya hung up right before Nina’s spell slipped under the wolf’s enormous weight, causing him to fall the last few inches down onto the metal trolley with a loud crash. Even unconscious, the wolf whimpered in pain.

“Sorry,” she’d whispered, before turning her attention to the problem of getting to the parking lot without being seen.

And that was how Nina had ended up driving home as fast as she dared with a werewolf bleeding out in her backseat.

Her sleep spell was fairly strong, but she had no idea how long it would last on a creature this large, so she renewed the enchantment at every red light, just in case.

She also called Inej, the normally melodic timbre of her housemate’s voice sounding tinny and distorted when routed through the car’s speakers.

“What’s wrong, Nina?”

“What makes you think anything is wrong?” She drummed her fingers nervously on the wheel and fought the urge to look back at the wolf again. He was still breathing—she could feel it—but she wanted to check anyway. Just in case.

“If nothing was wrong, you would’ve just texted.”

“Maybe I wanted to hear my best friend’s voice.”

“Nina,” Inej sighed, “just tell me.”

Nina huffed in response. “Fine. Look, is everyone at home?”

“I think so? Well, Jesper had some meetings but he’s on his way back here. He said he was gonna stop and pick up pizza for everyone.”

“Okay, if he gets back before me, I need him to start weaving some soundproofing spells in the basement. Go ahead and grab my bestiary and bring it down there, and my potions kit, too. And we’re gonna need lots of towels, as many as you can find. You’ll have to keep Wylan upstairs somehow.”

Nina hit another red light and bit her lip to reign in a frustrated groan. This is taking too long.

“It’s Thursday. Wylan’s probably planning to do his laundry tonight,” Inej replied.

“You’ll just have to think of some excuse. Tell him the machine is broken or something. But he can’t be down there.”

“And why is that, exactly?”

Cars streamed past in front of her, racing endlessly through the intersection, their light still green, Nina’s still red.

Fuck it. She raised her hands over the steering wheel and mumbled the incantation under her breath, improvising the words a little to fit the magic to the stoplight—it was technically a spell meant for turning an ordinary light on and off, but she thought it might work.

For a moment, nothing happened, and Nina worried that perhaps the stoplight mechanism had too many switches and circuits or too many digital parts for her simple spell to have any effect. She’d never been great with technomagic—as a heartrender, blood and bodies were her specialty—and the more something was computerized and complex, the harder it was for her to navigate. But then…

One last flick of her wrist, and the light for the cross traffic went yellow.

“Nina?” Inej’s voice was sharper now, closer to a warning. “What’s going on?”

Green light. Fucking finally.

“Soooo,” she began, her car surging forward again, “I may or may not be bringing work home.”

“If this is another goat, Nina, I swear…”

Nina winced. Once, she’d snuck a dying goat out of the clinic when her coworkers had decided there was nothing left to be done for the poor creature. And when it came to a human understanding of veterinary medicine, perhaps they were correct, but Nina knew she could save him with the spells in her bestiary and the power of her blood magic. She’d known her housemates wouldn’t exactly be thrilled about the situation. What she hadn’tanticipated was Jesper getting attached.

So now, Milo the goat lived in the shed beside the greenhouse, to the immense displeasure of everyone in Crow House except Jesper. When he stayed in his pen, Milo was tolerable, even adorable, but when he escaped—as he did at least two or three times a month—he became a menace, eating anything he could get his nasty little hooves on. So far, Milo’s list of victims included some of Wylan’s sheet music, one of Nina’s astrological grimoires, a pair of Inej’s pointe shoes, three pairs of Kaz’s ridiculously expensive gloves, multiple waffles, an entire carton of wontons, and some of everything that Jesper and Nina grew in the greenhouse out back, including an unholy amount of weed.

“The good news is, it’s not a goat,” Nina said brightly.

Inej heaved a resigned sigh. “And the bad news…?”

“The bad news is that it’s a werewolf.”

“Nina!” Inej groaned.

“He’s dying! And shift-stuck! What was I supposed to do?” Nina took a turn a little too hard, and in the backseat, the wolf slid and hit his muzzle against the door. Shit.

“What can you even do? You can’t treat a shifted wolf.”

“I know!” Her fingers clenched around the wheel. “Look, it’s temporary, okay? I’ve already called a friend who has contacts in the local pack. They’ll send someone to help and then it won’t be our problem anymore. We just need to keep him stable until the healer comes.”

Inej was quiet on the other end for a long moment. Eventually, she said, “Fine. I’ll see what towels I can find.”

Nina blew out her breath, relieved. “Thank you. I’ll be there in fifteen. It might be good to have some blood on hand, if Kaz has any. And make sure Wylan…”

“Yeah, I’ll keep him upstairs,” Inej interrupted. “See you soon.”

The call disconnected. Nina pressed a thumb to her temple where a headache had already started to build, rubbing the pad of her finger into the skin and releasing a small thread of magic to chase the pain away.

She knew Inej was irritated with her, but at least Nina could trust that her best friend would be on board with helping an injured creature. Inej was kind like that—compassionate, always empathetic with the pain of others. She wouldn’t just let the wolf die, even if taking him in was inconvenient in a number of ways. And Jesper probably wouldn’t mind much either. He was always down for Nina’s wild and unexpected shenanigans, as long as no harm came to his friends or to his precious hats. If all went well, Wylan would never know anything was happening. But Kaz…

Kaz is going to absolutely hate this.

The situation ticked off almost every box on the list of things Kaz didn’t like: last-minute surprises, strangers in his space, unnecessary risks, sticking his neck out for other people, making Nina happy. And while most decisions in Crow House were made democratically, Kaz remained resolutely in charge of the chore schedule, which he enforced by subtly reminding his housemates that he could drain all the money from their bank accounts—and possibly all the blood from their bodies—in the blink of an eye. Nina had a feeling there would be a lot of toilet scrubbing in her future.

She was only a few minutes away from home when her phone rang again.

“I managed to get in touch with the pack,” Genya said when she picked up.

Immediately, Nina could hear something cautious in her tone, something grim. “And?”

“They’re not sending anyone.”

“Why the hell not?” Without meaning to, Nina found herself nearly shouting.  

“Nina…”

She didn’t have to see Genya’s face to know what expression she wore in that moment—Nina had seen it too many times during her years with the Grisha to ever forget, not just from Genya but from everyone. Zoya’s infuriatingly calm voice echoed through her head, shaming her, as always, for being too fucking much, for acting recklessly from a place of emotion rather than trying to be reasonable. Slow down, Nina. Get ahold of your anger. Control yourself.

And as always, it only served to make her even more enraged.

“They’re the only ones who can help him! Are they really just going to let one of their own die?”

Genya sighed. “Yes, that’s exactly what they’re going to do. In fact, I think it was their goal all along.”

“What?” she screeched, stomping on the brakes in her anger.

Luckily, there was no one on the street behind her, although the wolf did slide forward a bit on the backseat, letting out another heart-wrenching whimper of pain.

“The guy I spoke to was being cagey about it, but I think I pieced most of the story together. The wolf is called Matthias Helvar, and the Drüskelle exiled him from their pack about a month ago.”

“Why?” Nina made no move to start driving forward again, not trusting herself to keep control of the car in that moment.

“I’m not sure. It sounds like he broke pack law, screwed up badly enough that they not only kicked him out but also cursed him.”

Cursed? Nina glanced over her shoulder at the shivering, unconscious wolf, covered in congealing blood that clumped in his fur and stained the fabric of the seat below him, and she suddenly understood.

“That’s why he’s shift-stuck,” she murmured, shocked by the cruelty of it.

“From what I gather, it’s some kind of… werewolf reversal? Where he’s only in his human form on the full moon and stays shifted the rest of the time, instead of the other way around. Apparently, he followed one of their hunting parties down to Ketterdam and was trying to sneak into their camp. When they chased him off, he ran onto the highway and got hit by a semi-truck.”

“So they already knew he was injured?”

Genya’s voice was quiet when she replied, “Nina, they left him for dead.”

Nina knew all too well what it was like to be betrayed and abandoned by the people who were supposed to be your family, but this… She shook her head, angry tears pricking at her eyes. This wolf—this Matthias—had been exiled, cursed, and left to die on the side of a highway by his own pack. Surely, no transgression against Drüskelle law was awful enough to merit that kind of punishment, right?

Faint memories of her lessons at the Little Palace began to trickle in—diagrams in textbooks illustrating the cold, draconian hierarchies of the Northern packs, lectures about wolf culture that devolved into tirades about the Drüskelle’s violent attempts to destroy not only the Grisha organization, but all witches everywhere, fueled by their hypocritical ideology that saw werewolves as the next step in evolution but witches as an unnatural abomination to be cleansed from the earth like a plague. The wolves are not like us, she remembered hearing, over and over. They did not come from the Other Realm but instead began as humans, and like humans, they cannot be trusted.  

Nina had spent the past few years trying to unlearn the prejudice and cynicism instilled in her at the Little Palace, with varying levels of success, but now, she wondered if perhaps they’d been right about some things.

“What are you going to do?” Genya asked.

“I don’t know,” she replied, trying—and likely failing—not to sound too murderous. “I’ll figure something out.”

“Just remember that he’s a wolf, Nina.”

“Does that mean he deserves to die?” she snapped in response.

“No, but he probably thinks that you do, just by virtue of existing as a witch. He may not want your help, and even if you do somehow manage to save him, he might very well kill you in your sleep instead of saying thank you.”

Nina knew she was probably right, and yet… This is why I left—so I could help everyone, not just the people that the Grisha think are worth saving.

“I can handle myself. And I’m not going to sink to their level. Unlike some people, I’m not obsessed with only protecting my own kind.”

With that, Nina hung up and disconnected the phone from the car’s bluetooth, and then, for good measure, put her phone on silent and tossed it into her bag in the passenger seat. She knew she wasn’t being fair, especially since Genya was one of the only people in the Grisha still willing to help her now that she’d gone independent. But it was hard not to be angry when she could hear Matthias’s heartbeat fluttering dangerously just a few feet behind her, could feel his nerves sparking with pain, knowing that his own family had let it happen, caused it to happen, because of one mistake.

It was hard not to relate—even if that meant empathizing with a damn werewolf.  

A sudden honk behind her reminded Nina that she was still stopped in the middle of the road.

“Alright, I’m going! Saints.” She finally lifted her foot from the brake and got the car moving again, squeezing the wheel tightly to stop her hands from trembling. Her headache was already coming back—she’d probably need to take one of those human painkillers when she got home and conserve her magical energy for… well, for whatever it was going to take to help this wolf.

Maybe Matthias wouldn’t want her help. Maybe he would try to attack her (although in that case, she could always sic Kaz on him). Maybe she wouldn’t be able to do anything at all and the wolf would die in their basement amongst the piles of Jesper’s dirty laundry and Inej’s sweat-soaked practice mats.

But Nina Zenik had never once backed down from a challenge. She’d been top of her class in vet school for three years in a row and was the best heartrender the Little Palace had seen in more than a century—even Zoya had admitted it. And if there was any chance at all of saving this wolf, nothing in this realm or the next could stop Nina from trying…

Not even her housemates.