#oneofthewednesdays

[capinejghafa]

you guard against pain. you guard against joy. but when you allow yourself to be blindsided by love... two worlds make a universe. he's not my weakness. he's my universe.

 - Sankta Neyar 

[endoftheworldhere]

Thank you so much for being one of the creators who has made being part of the Six of Crows fandom truly special. I have spent the last several years refreshing my Ao3 update feed like a lunatic around 9:00 AM on Sunday mornings because I knew there would be a new update to your AU. You have been so very generous in your storytelling. But you have also been generous in supporting other writers. I know that within a few hours of posting an update you will always leave a comment, and it makes me smile every time. This is not something you have to do. But it has brightened my day on so very many occasions. And this is what the executives at Netflix fundamentally misunderstand about storytelling—it is not about the bottom line—it is about how story brings us together. Thank you, thank you, thank you for making this fandom feel like home. No mourners, no funerals. 💕🪶

Ashlynn you’re gonna make me cry 🥺😭🥺😭 I have appreciated meeting you and everyone else who’s engaged with my fics and discovering so much wonderful fan content. Show or no show, we’ve made a create community and I’m so happy to be part of it. No mourners, no funerals 💕🪶

[crowpricorn]

🥝🍒🍓

thank you for the questions!! 💗🫶🏻

🥝 What’s your favorite trope/AO3 tag to write?

I think friends to lovers has to be one of my favorite tropes ever! I also generally prefer to write AUs rather than canon verse / post canon fics, but that's mostly just me being insecure about my ability to convey how I see and feel certain characters and dynamics. amongst aus, modern aus and fantasy-ish aus are my favorite

🍒 What’s your favorite character dynamic to write? (Can be romantic or platonic, specific or general!)

I love to write the crows' various friendships in any shape they come into! I mostly write romantic fics, but I love to throw platonic relationships in there and I'd love to write something entirely friendship-based one day (& I'm kinda writing a crows childhood friends au but there's also going to be crushes so I don't think it counts) (plus it could be a way to start writing canon verse fics)

🍓 What’s a fic you’ve written you feel is underrated?

considering, I'm fairly happy with the response to all my fics BUT when I first published it I was very sad that my pjo au was not getting much traction (it is) (it has many hits and comments and kudos but I got greedy and thought it would have deserved more) (based on: it's my personal fave)

[astrhae]

🍍 What kind of AUs do you like? Are there any AUs you hate or just generally have beef with?

thank you for asking 💙 i'll write any AU that allows me to masquerade the fic as an AU when actually it's a 20k character study and an essay on the meaning of life akdkssdk (my wesper hanahaki AU is a prime example of this)

i've been told that i'm incapable of writing a simple AU fic: as much as i love reading fics where an AU is just a different way to get two characters to kiss, i'm drawn to writing AUs where the AU can act as a tool to crack a character open in ways canon can't or doesn't --- and those are also my favorite AUs to read! currently writing a wesper regency AU that's an excuse for me to explore first meetings (not just the first meeting, but the way you meet someone for the first time over and over again as they change and as you change and as you know them better)

i can't write, and i don't usually read, AUs that involve one of the characters falling in love with a ghost because of my complicated relationship with the concept of ghosts and such in the culture i grew up in, but i do love fics that explore a character's ghosts!

[cameliawrites]

I am so curious about your wynej grief bonding oneshot!

Inej received the news in the morning, and she did not leave her room for the rest of the day.

She did not even leave her bed, not that anybody came around to witness that fact. She made sure of it. She had locked the door, latched the window, and drew the curtains shut before she allowed herself to crawl into the open maw of her bed in the Van Eck mansion, hoping that the thick, goose down comforter would simply swallow her whole. 

The bedding offered no such mercies. The world moved on around her in all its commonplace cruelty. If she strained to listen, Inej could hear the shouts of the merchers’ children playing hopscotch and trading penny-candies throughout the Geldin District, the occasional clop-clop-clop of a carriage drawn across the cobbled streets. She tried not to listen.

By the time the sun sank low enough to blot out even the last dash of light that had crept persistently through the crack between the curtains, there was hardly any of Inej left to notice anything at all.

[capinejghafa]

Honestly the best fic writer I have seen who tackles Inej and her dad's relationship is @oneofthewednesdays : Of Songs and Suli Proverbs series... which you should totally check out.

jesper fahey and colm fahey's dynamic is lovely and iconic even, but we, as a fandom are heavily sleeping on the relationship between inej ghafa and her dad. it is heart wrenching and beautiful and severely underrated and we don't realise how much her dad her shaped her into the person she is, even when he could not be with her in this essay i will-

[carolinawrenn]

One Need Not be a Chamber — to be Haunted

Emily Dickinson

One need not be a chamber—to be haunted— One need not be a House— The Brain—has Corridors surpassing  Material Place—

Far safer, of a Midnight—meeting  External Ghost— Than an Interior—confronting— That cooler—Host—

Far safer, through an Abbey—gallop— The Stones a’chase— Than moonless—One’s A’self encounter— In lonesome place—

Ourself—behind Ourself—Concealed— Should startle—most— Assassin—hid in Our Apartment— Be Horror’s least—

The Prudent—carries a Revolver— He bolts the Door,  O’erlooking a Superior Spectre More near—

[jazzythursday]

tagged by @fancy-fangs (however many weeks ago) thanks for the tag! <3

Rules:

Make this picrew of yourself

Take this uquiz

Post the results side-by-side

Tagging (no pressure) @sparrowmoth @waterloou @tinyarmedtrex @aphroditestummyrolls @happy-turtle48 @oneofthewednesdays and anyone else who wants to make one!

[savethegrishaverse]

If you haven't seen it in our newsletter already, we are pleased to reveal our official Third Army logo!

Thanks to the talented work of Nathália (@batsybrekker on our discord) and Ashlynn (@oneofthewednesdays on our discord) we now have an official Third Army Logo! Isn't it beautiful?

[capinejghafa]

kanej + post-canon & “that’s the laugh”

short story by @oneofthewednesdays (under read more :D)

It took two weeks for Inej to finally summon the courage to ask Kaz the question that had been plaguing her since that morning at Fifth Harbor. During the day, she slowly remembered the girl she used to be—the girl who let her eyes drift shut when her mother massaged warm oil in her hair. Each time her father pressed a gruff kiss on the crown of her head, she remembered staring up at him on the hirewire. She remembered thinking he had hung the moon. 

But long after her parents slipped away for bed, she would lie awake, staring past the gossamer curtains at the glimmering waters of the Geldcanal. She could see the full-bellied moon reflected in the water. Watching the boats drift lazily past, she imagined the attic of the Slat awash in moonlight. Had Kaz left the attic window open for her? Whenever she remembered that morning, she remembered the feeling of her body braced against his—the cool touch of his fingers, intertwined with hers. She remembered the way his eyes had softened before he said something strange. 

“That’s the laugh,” he had murmured.

For two weeks, she repeated his words over and over in her head until exhaustion finally claimed her. 

But now, she was walking side-by-side with Kaz through the warehouse district. He had turned up on the doorstep of the Van Eck Estate earlier that morning, intent on ensuring the Wraith was well-stocked on her maiden voyage. He had greased the palms of the foreman of a warehouse that stocked arms and munitions. The foreman turned a blind eye as they wandered up and down rows of muskets and heavy cannons, pausing occasionally to examine the merchandise. Whenever Kaz turned away, she would chew on her bottom lip, certain that the question would spill from her lips unbidden if she didn’t keep them firmly clasped. 

But Kaz noticed. He always noticed. 

“Something is bothering you,” Kaz observed. “Am I bothering you, Inej?” 

She might have mistaken his tone as casual if she didn’t see the way his bare fingers clenched around the head of his cane. He was as nervous as she was—perhaps more so. It was a rare glimpse of the boy beneath the façade. At the realization, she couldn’t help herself. The corners of her lips turned up in the softest of smiles. 

“There was something you said that morning at Fifth Harbor,” she confessed slowly. “Something I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.” 

Pulling her mother’s shawl tightly around her shoulders, she turned to face him.  Pale morning light was filtering through the warehouse window, casting half of his face in shadow. His jaw tightened, but he gave the barest nod. Go on. Finish the story. 

“That’s the laugh?” she asked.

Her words hung between them, suspended in the air like dust motes dancing in the early morning sun. They were an echo—the memory of a moment so fleeting sometimes Inej was certain it had all been a dream. For a long moment, she thought he wouldn’t answer. His eyes remained flat, the eyes of a shark sliding through dark waters. But then his gaze slid to the head of his cane. He stared down at his clenched fists as he spoke. 

“I almost drowned beneath the Ice Court,” Kaz confessed. “For years, the promise of vengeance kept me alive. But when the baleen started to bubble, all I could think of was you, Inej. All I could think of was your laughter.” 

He paused, clearing his throat before continuing. 

“When you laugh, I remember a time before Ketterdam, before Pekka Rollins,” he said. “When you laugh, I remember a time when I used to believe there was magic in this world.”

Inej could feel her heart fluttering in her chest. All of her doubts—all of her fears—felt like distant memories. She remembered the girl who once doubted that the world could change—that girl was a fool. The realization was so miraculous that she could feel laughter bubbling to her lips. Startled, Kaz’s gaze snapped up. But his eyes softened as they traced the contours of her lips. 

“Thank you,” she said simply, reaching forward to take his hand in hers. 

He closed the distance between them.

[endoftheworldhere]

I was tagged by @oneofthewednesdays to share my fanfic trope tier list! Like Ashlynn said, it definitely depends on the author and also on my mood, and there’s not a lot I’ll straight up refuse to read--I’ve even read stuff in the green category when someone I trust recommends/writes it, even it’s not something I’d seek out on my own. 

I’ll tag @ptork66 and anyone else who’s interested

[lunarthecorvus]

Inej Ghafa parent's fanfiction recommendations part of Lunar's soc fanficiton rec series

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what a mother was by @cameliawrites

Wordcount: 62k Chapters: 8/8

Characters: Inej Ghafa's Mother, Inej Ghafa's Grandparents, Inej Ghafa's Aunt, Inej Ghafa's Father, Inej Ghafa, Kaz Brekker

Tags: Mother-Daughter Relationship, Motherhood, Family, Romance, Coming of Age, Prequel, Time Skips, Suli Culture & Religion, Canon Compliant, Original Character(s), Canon-Typical violence, Period Typical Racism, Sick Character, Grief/ Mourning, Attempted Sexual Assault, First Love, Implied/ Referenced Homophobia, Eating Disorders, Bittersweet, Angst, Eventual Happy Ending

Author's summary/notes: "She could recount every detail of the day she married Kolhat: the geraniums her sister had embroidered along the sleeves and hem of her dress, one of her father’s old handkerchiefs tucked into her pocket, her mother’s silk veil draped over her hair. She could recall the day she met him, when she was all of twenty years old. Inej was not yet twenty. Shanta still felt as young as all that, and she felt far older." . . . Before she was Inej’s mother, Shanta Ghafa had a mother too. or: ten years and six suitors in the life of Mama Ghafa. My summary/notes: A beautiful retrospective of Mama Ghafa's past, the life she has lived, and all she has loved and lost. Camelia is just an amazing writer and every part of this fic was beautfully written. You can feel the grief and joy of Shanta's life and it added levels and depth to her character that I never would've expected. While reading this I couldn't believe that this wasn't canon and its own book. I would kill to read this for the first time again.

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Sankta Margaretha and Other Tales of Sorrow by @oneofthewednesdays

Wordcount: 18k Chapters: 8/8

Characters: Inej Ghafa, Inej Ghafa's Mother, Inej Ghafa's Father, Kaz Brekker, Jesper Fahey, Wylan Van Eck

Tags: Post-Book 2: Crooked Kingdom, Hurt/Comfort, Family, Angst, Implied/ Reference Rape/ Non-con, Canon Typical Violence, Graphic Description of Corpses

Author's summary/notes: When his daughter was stolen from beneath his nose on the outskirts of Os Kervo, Samir Ghafa lost his faith in the saints. After a letter arrives bearing the insignia of the Lantsov double-eagle, he finds his hope rekindled. But when he learns of the demon of Ketterdam, he begins to fear once more… My summary/ notes: I'm not sure how to write this without directly spoiling it.. but a certain opinion Inej's father has about someone is surprisingly uncommonly found in fics and its so interesting to read how the opinion is formed and how Samir acts because of it. Then consequently how the others act and feel because of Samir's actions. (I was laughing my ass off while writing this so vaguely)

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Ten Minutes in the Life of a Pear by @oneofthewednesdays

Wordcount: 8.9k Chapters: 4/4

Characters: Inej Ghafa, Inej Ghafa's Mother, Inej Ghafa's Father, Kaz Brekker, Asha, Hanzi

Tags: Panic Attacks, Healing, Implied/ Reference Rape/Non-con, Canon backstory, Pre-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Post-Canon

Authors summary: Four glimpses into breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert with the Ghafa Family. My summary/ notes: A heartwarming fic reflecting on the pain and the way relationships both platonic and romantic can develop and grow throughout the different points in life.

---------- ☾₊ ⊹

Runs in the family by DopamineAddict

Wordcount: 99k Chapters: 16/18 (hasn't been updated since march)

Characters: Inej Ghafa, Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa's Mother, Inej Ghafa's father, Wylan Van Eck, Jesper Fahey. Tante Heleen, Specht, Roeder, Anika

Tags: Revenge, Family Reunions, Canon-Typical violence, Coming of Age, Inej Ghafa needs a hug, Past Rape/ non con, Post-Book 2: Crooked Kingdom, Kaz is scared of Inej's parents he knows hunger for revenge when he sees it, the Ghafa's might be a bit non canon but we only see them from Inej's pov in canon so..

Author's summary/notes: As the Ketterdam harbour grows closer, Priya and Devnand Ghafa steel themselves for the truth of whatever their daughter had been through over the past two years. And for what they might do about it. My summary/notes: Priya and Devnand meet their daughter again after years, they learn about her and what's she's been doing, but the other question that will be answered is what have they been up to since Inej has been taken. (This fic is just incredible, it changed how I saw her parents)

[tough-n-dumb]

several sentence sunday

thank you for the tag, @dreamtigress!

this section comes pen, paper, and sea air which is the newest ficlet in my anthology "weave a lovers' tapestry"

There’s something to be said, Kaz has to admit, about Ketterdam in the early hours of the morning. And something good for once. It’s a wretched city, full of wretched people—himself included—but basked in the dawn light, the Barrel’s crooked rows of slouching buildings look almost charming; a child's set of dollhouses placed askew. The gray of the streets is interrupted by bright green weeds that peek from between the cobblestones, growing despite all odds. Even the dirty canal water seems to sparkle.  Or maybe this new revelation of beauty is simply because of the girl sitting beside him on the Slat’s slopping roof. Because of the way her shoulder bumps gently against his as she laughs. Because she is leaving today on the ship he bought her, and he can’t help but see her in everything she is leaving behind. A few bells later at the docks, Inej gives his hand—his bare hand—a quick squeeze and glances up at him, a smile on her face. Before he knows what she’s doing, she springs onto her tiptoes and grazes her lips against his cheek. When she pulls away, he’s sure his face is that of a boy’s again and he can feel a light blush spreading across the cheek she just kissed (she just kissed him).  She releases his hand and steps away before he can do something stupid like throw his arms around her and crush his lips to hers, never letting her go again. “I’ll write to you,” she says. He says he’ll do the same. * It’s difficult at first—putting his thoughts to paper. Sending her the information he collects on slavers and their routes is easy enough, yes, but he knows she wants more than perfunctory updates in the letters he sends, that she wants him without his armor—including bringing down the walls of his mind. So he tries. He writes things like, it’s harder to sleep knowing you’re not in the room beneath mine and I had dinner with Jesper and Wylan. Did you know Jesper can cook? I was surprised as well and even I miss you. I miss you in a way I’ve only ever missed my brother.  Kaz writes to her like his heart is a broken, bloody animal.  She doesn’t write back. 

if you enjoyed this, read the rest on AO3!

tagging (if you have anything you want to share but no pressure!) @cameliawrites @oneofthewednesdays @insignificant457

[freakcliff]

Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom Fic recs

heartsigh by andromeda3116. 24k, M

Inej, the tumultuous first year after getting her ship, and Kaz, in that order.

Sankta Margaretha and Other Tales of Sorrow by oneofthewednesdays. 18k

When his daughter was stolen from beneath his nose on the outskirts of Os Kervo, Samir Ghafa lost his faith in the saints. After a letter arrives bearing the insignia of the Lantsov double-eagle, he finds his hope rekindled. But when he learns of the demon of Ketterdam, he begins to fear once more...

By the Book by marycontraire. 4k

“You look like a pirate,” Kaz says. “I am a pirate,” Inej reminds him as they emerge into the dark storage room. Kaz holds his bonelight aloft to illuminate the rows and rows of garments.  “Not this morning,” he says. “This morning you’re the bride of a respectable gentleman farmer."

Duplicity by marycontraire. 4k

Kaz Brekker has two reasons for everything.

No Echo by marycontraire. 14k, M

Kaz and Inej visit Ravka. She confronts her past; he makes a decision about his future.

what the water gave me by 19burstraat. 23k

In time, he almost forgot what he had once been able to do. Water was his most ardent foe, not an ally. Water was the bodymen’s boats, Reaper’s Barge, and Jordie’s corpse. The water had given, and could give him, nothing that he wanted. It would make no bargain with him that could be worth it– so he would not try. He eked out his fortune and his revenge with every bloody punch and petty swindle and broken bone. He ignored the hiss and slap of the filthy water in the canals that wended through the city, the roar of the waves at the harbour that smashed boats to pieces, the sinuous curl of the mist on wet nights that got you jumped if you weren’t paying close enough attention. The Ketterdam water had a touch of the mocking about it– a determination to be as awful and monstrous and polluted as he was. But Kaz didn’t need a reminder of what he’d become. The water had his brother; it would not have him, too. Assuming Kaz was a Tidemaker; what, then?

High Sentence by heliocharis. M, 25k.

On a cool spring evening in the third year after she first left Ketterdam, Inej Ghafa steps off the docks at Fifth Harbour and walks into the scene of a crime. She’s back in the city on the tail of a slaver, and she needs the right crew for the job. All they have to do is gather some intelligence, do a bit of thieving, and get a whole lot of particular eccentrics in the same place at once. And maybe try not to kill each other before then.

Guns and Knives and Forks by heliocharis. 31k.

“I think I’ll have a sable trim on my coat,” Kaz said. “Is it worth it to upset the Ravkans, do you think?” “What was it you said to me once?” Kaz asked. “It’s perfectly acceptable for one country to exercise its sovereign right to get rich by undermining the sovereign laws and rules of other countries?” He leaned back and crossed his legs, bad over good, and brought his cigarette to his mouth. “And it’s not even the country getting rich. It’s me.”

After the success of his first international escapade, Kaz Brekker takes up a few easier ones in the interest of supplementary earnings. The food trade is stable, reliably profitable, and gives him far less trouble than some of his business in the city. Until someone threatens the wrong ship.

call it by name by phyrrlc. M, 24k

Don’t you despair Though my little words can’t compare I’ll always be here with you behind closed eyes It’s a terrible idea, Inej thinks, asking Kaz to come back to Ravka with her. She asks him anyway.

collision course by cameliawrites. M, 10k

My dearest Inej— (Nina writes,) —don’t learn too late how sweet it can be. . . . Inej adjusts to Kaz the way that winter adjusts to spring: she thaws, and thaws, and thaws—and then she utterly melts.

roomy, and drenched in sunlight by Whitherward. M, 61k.

It was a story they’d told each other often, over too much kvas. A running joke between them, what they would do if they ever decided to leave it all behind. She’d never dreamed they actually would. Inej, and Kaz, and what comes after: a story in three parts.

[sixofcrowdaydreams]

WIP Saturday

Tagged by @sparrowmoth

Lately, I’ve been trying to write some canon adjacent moments. This is one scene in a series of snippets about Wylan’s experiences with reading over the years. And yes, this awful experience is referenced in my Cinderella AU To Live in Color.

Wylan, again, is not having a good time.

Wylan is 14 years old and the door of the library is locked. He rattles the handle again, shaking it futilely, but it doesn’t open.  He wants to bang on the door until someone hears. Until someone comes running to let him out. But he doesn’t bother. Making noise won’t do any good. He knows his father would leave him to wait longer until he was docile again. Agreeable.  There’s no one to hear Wylan beg. And even if the staff did, they know better than to retrieve the key and let him out.  Frustrated, Wylan yanks furiously on the doorknob with all his strength. It doesn’t give. A cry rips from his throat. Impulsively, he kicks the door. Then screams and kicks it again and again and again until his foot throbs. His anger bleeds away with the pain and Wylan pounds his fist against the wood before sinking to the floor in front of it.  He cries hot frustrated tears and tries to scrub them away with the heel of his hand.  According to the clock on the bookshelf he has been in the library for twelve hours. It’s unclear how long he’s meant to stay. The housekeeper didn’t exactly tell him before shutting the door and turning the lock. Wylan’s stomach grumbles miserably and his mouth is too dry, but there’s no water. He’s been here so long that he considered eating the potted houseplant in the corner, but he’s fairly sure it’s poisonous. And he wouldn’t touch it anyway because he’s already pissed on it. What else was he supposed to do? When his tantrum ends, his anger fades into a numb apathy. He just wants to get out. Hollowly, Wylan lifts his head from his knees and lets it fall backward, connecting softly against the door.  He’s so pathetic.   All he has to do is read. That’s all he’s ever had to do.  Why can’t he?

Tagging (but no pressure) @hotpinkmurex @nerdlingmerchling @oneofthewednesdays @waterloou @tinyarmedtrex and anyone else who wants to share a WIP.

[emmy-everafter]

Tagged by @sparrowmoth to share about my WIPs. Idk if anyone is actually all that interested in these, but on the off chance that you are, feel free to swing by my ask box with questions!

Rules: Post the names of your WIPs and open your ask box for questions about them.

Published WIPs

Right now, there's just one: Don't Come Any Closer (But Don't Move Away), Win/Team (Between Us/UWMA), rated M, 3 chapters out of ????

(I actually have written several chapters ahead but updates will likely slow down over time as i catch up to the place where I'm currently drafting. But we're getting to the good stuff now and ugh I'm so excited, I love this fic and these boys so much!!)

Unpublished WIPs

Greenhouse fic (better title forthcoming), a short and fluffy sequel to We're Gonna Need a Bigger Pentagram. Jesper/Wylan (Shadow & Bone/Six of Crows), rated T, one-shot. I have about 2k words written and because it's a Jesper POV, I'm planning to publish it later this month as part of "Jesptember," a celebration of our favorite Sharpshooter from the @i-can-read-to-him Wesper discord server.

A Week in the Life (tentative title), followup to the greenhouse fic and continuation of the Coven of Crows universe. Told through flashbacks to a time before WGNABP. Mostly gen crows-as-found-family with hints of Wesper, Helnik, Kanej, and Kuwei/Jesper (I forget if people use Kuwesper for just them or for them + Wylan oops). Probably rated T, probably 6 or 7 chapters. I've only written out a bit, the rest is all outline right now.

Other general ideas for Coven of Crows stuff that I'm happy to talk about!

The time travel crows fic (it has a title but I don't want to share it yet). All the crows ships, probably rated M, gonna be a longfic. I have some chapters written but I need to revise them because I changed my mind about some worldbuilding stuff. Time travel is hard to write, y'all!

Servant & Lever(age): a six of crows Leverage AU, rating TBA, length TBA, mostly just outlines at the moment.

I Won't Give Up Your Ghost, Julie & The Phantoms longfic, rated T or M. I have maybe 8 chapters of this written? But I don't know if there's enough people reading JatP anymore for me to maintain motivation when doing a longfic and I also got distracted, but I had a solid outline for the rest and may come back to it eventually

Untitled sexytimes fic, Palm/Neungdiao (Never Let Me Go the series), definitely rated E, one-shot. Will I ever finish this? Who knows.

A few other half-written or half-baked Thai BL fics, mostly M or E one- and two-shots, for shows like Moonlight Chicken, Tale of a Thousand Stars, etc.

I have some other Six of Crows ideas but I'm much less certain that I'll get around to writing them so I haven't listed them here

No pressure tags for anyone who feels like sharing (apologies if you've already done this and I missed it!): @oneofthewednesdays @hotpinkmurex @magicandpizza @ace-kaz-brekker @starwritebrekker