#sab behind the scenes

[notbeinghuman]

Freddy Carter on Instagram (x)

[myladysprout]

💖 baby boy ben 💖

[six-of-cringe]

never thought i'd say it. not happy about gay sex

[encisthings]

[divinesolas]

The Rockstar and Me

requested: would it be okay, if I requested a rockstar!jace x reader? were theve been best friends since childhood and the reader has a crush on jace. jace is a really popular upcoming rockstar and is super busy. he dosnt see reader the same way (just as there bestfriend) and kind neglects the reader bc he's really busy. so one night the reader has enough and they decide they need to take a break from there friendship, so they don't talk for a while. and then jace kinda realises he missed up and took the readers love for granted. In this time he he realizes he like her too.

w.c: 1.6k

c.w: just some minor angst and some fluff :3, not proofread

masterlist - requests open

--

You are going to scream.

Not of horror and certainly not of pleasure but you were just so annoyed.

Your roommate would not stop playing their fucking songs, most people would call you crazy but you swear you were about to look for a new apartment and put in big red letters, DO NOT REPLY IF YOU LIKE THE WEST DRAGONS. You have nothing against their music but it all just leads back to him.

Childhood best friend and crush turned ex-best friend rockstar Jacaerys Velaryon. He was your best friend for so long and you had liked him, a part of you still does. A part of you still misses him but you did what you had to do.

You could not just sit around and let him ignore you like that, time and time again he would blow you off to the point you grew sick of it and blocked his number and never looked back. You didn’t just ghost him. instead opting to send him a long messages about how you needed space and he was no longer the guy you knew anymore and told him you were gonna reach out anymore.

That was three months ago and your sure he hasn’t even fucking read it let alone try to reply to it. Three months since your life flipped upside down, moving to a new place, still in the same city but further away from him, new job and some new friends, it was odd at first and still is, being away from him but you won’t just let yourself be walked all over like that.

You had planned to stay in tonight like you normally would but your roommate had other plans, standing in the middle of the room bickering with you while you try to block out the sound of their music in the background.

“I don’t wanna go out sab.” “Come on live a little, come out to the bar with me.” “Maybe another night.” “Nope you are coming tonight. right now. get dressed.”

With that she sprints out of the room and you groan knowing she won’t take no for an answer and get up to get ready. Its just one night out, it won’t be so bad, plus it a good excuse so you don't have to hear his music anymore.

Yet when you walk into the bar its packed with people lining up in front of the stage, you turn to sab and tilt your head. “What is going on?”

She looks at you with a big grin on her face, “I didn’t tell you, oh my god the west dragons are performing here in a few.” Your stomach drops.

No you had to leave, maybe you could fake an illness? No she would catch on and force you to stay. You could make yourself throw up? that would cause too much of a scene. You were definitely going to be sick when you see the lights dim and they walk up on the stage.

He’s the drummer he should not even see you right? you’ll just sit at the bar and count down the seconds until the show is over and you can book it out of the room. Aegon greets the crowd as the groups lead singer and your stomach continues to churn. You met him a handful of times and he was always nice to you, he had a nice voice you could agree but you felt so sick anytime you heard their songs.

The show went on without a hitch and you wish the ringing in your ears would get louder so you wouldnt have to hear it. You find yourself reminiscing about your time with jace with every song that plays. You miss him. Much more than you’d like to admit.

You dont allow your eyes to drift behind aegon, yet you hear him, the sound of the drums, it haunts you, sometimes you can see his hands peak out, when aegon moves you can see his dark curls but never look too close to see his face.

They are taking a mini break with aegon entertaining the crowd, the show is almost over, you could not wait to go take a shower and try to act like this night never happened. Aegons eyes drift around the crowd while he’s talking and they land on you, you watch as his eyes widen and he stumbles over his speech for a moment as he turns back for a second to look at jace.

That was not good. Not good at all. “What was that? do you think he thinks your cute?” “definitely not.” Your words come out more strained than you would like and she looks at you confused, “Is something wrong?”

You open and close your mouth unable to know what to say. Your chest feels like its closing in on its self as she grabs your shoulders worriedly. “I need some air.” You quickly stand and rush out of the bar, sab quickly following after you. The two of you don’t notice the pairs of eyes that trail after you.

You lean against the wall on the outside and try to catch your breath. You did not think this would affect you so much, maybe because your whole life has been around him that now it just feels odd that he’s not around. This whole thing reminded you too much of going to his gigs and him coming up to you after the show to ask you what you thought.

“Who cares if i liked it jace? the people loved it.” “I care, you matter more to me than them.”

“Okay what the hell was that?” You run your hands along your face and stare at sab as she looks at your worried. “Its nothing.”

“oh fuck off its not nothing, nobody just runs out the room looking like they just saw their ex boyfriend over nothing.” She gasps at her own words and covers her mouth, “Oh my god wait did you actually date aegon? fuck if i knew i wouldnt have brought you here im sorry-” “I didn’t date ageon sab and i didnt date any of them.” “Then what happened?”

The two of you freeze as someone clears their throat and sab gasps as she turns around. “Im sorry to interrupt but, do you mind if we talk?” Jace. He was staring right at you. Sab looks between the two of you and gives you a look that says she wants to hear all about this before she runs off.

You stand in silence,, not wanting to be the first to speak. He puts his hands in his pockets and kicks on of the rocks on the ground. “How,,, um how are you?” “Im good.” He nods and continues to simply look anywhere but your face. “Thats good thats good um..” Its awkward. So awkward. It was never this way before but you guess thats just what time apart does to people. And you hate it.

“How are you?” He looks up at you shocked before he stumbles over his words, clearly very nervous. “Im good, im good, um, no no im not good actually. I miss you, so much.” Your breath hitches as you watch him continue to speak, “I regret how i treated you, so much. Im so sorry i miss you more than anything please, i just want us to be friends again, ill do anything to make it up to you.”

You don’t know what to say what to do. This is what you’ve been dreaming of for so long but your heart aches at the thought of returning to being just friends.

“I can’t be friends with you jace.” He stumbles back as if you had shoved him and he looks around attempting to compose himself. You swear you can see tears glazing in his eyes, “I um,” His voice cracks as he speaks and he coughs into his arm, “I understand yes of course, im sorry for bother-”

“I cant be friends with you jace because i cant bare being just friends. All ive ever wanted for so long was to be more with you, and if i go back to being just friends ill spend the rest of my life miserable because ill just be dreaming to be more with you.”

You do not even know when you had begun crying but you feel the tears begin to run down your face as you close your eyes and tilt your head down towards the ground. You feel his hands grip your face and pull you up to look at him, seeing his own tears running down his face.

“Im sorry, im so sorry. I love you. Im sorry it took me so long to realize this and that i had to be apart from you to know but ive realized i need you, i love you so much youre my best friend, the only person i need, i love you.”

You shake your head in disbelief, “You dont mean it.” “I do i do mean it, i love you so much.”

He presses his forehead against yours and you sob harder. “I love you jace.”

“I love you so much, i will work everyday to earn your forgiveness to even be worthy or your love.”

He shakily presses his lips against yours in a peck and you two smile at one another.

“No more ignoring me?”

“Never, never again.”

--

perm jace taglist <3

@tyronesien @itsbookworm987 @cruelworldlana @smurfelle @ireneispunk @hxtd @venmondiese @urmomsgirlfriend1 @jacesvelaryons @ravenn-darkholme

[caitified]

secret

sabrina ionescu x reader

warnings:none

for the person who requested sabrina in a hidden relationship! hope it’s okay that they’re teammates.

the season had started with a promise, the new york liberty ready to make a mark in the wnba. sabrina ionescu, the team’s shining star, had quickly become a leader both on and off the court. but behind the scenes, there was another story unfolding—one that neither she nor you had anticipated.

from the moment you joined the liberty, you felt an undeniable connection with sabrina. it was the little things—the way she would catch your eye during practice, the subtle touches when you passed each other, and the shared laughter that echoed through the gym. you tried to keep it professional, knowing how intense the scrutiny of fans and media could be, but your chemistry was electric, making it nearly impossible to ignore.

“we should probably keep this on the down-low,” sabrina said one evening after a particularly long practice, the two of you sitting on the floor of the empty gym, legs stretched out in front of you. her hair was damp from sweat, and there was a softness in her eyes that made your heart race.

“i agree,” you replied, a mix of excitement and apprehension swirling inside you. “it’s just… hard, you know? pretending like nothing’s going on when it feels like everything is.”

sabrina smiled, reaching over to squeeze your hand gently. “i know. but we’ve got a season to focus on. the championship is our goal.”

as the weeks passed, you both navigated the ups and downs of the season, all while keeping your relationship a secret. you were always careful to maintain your distance during team events and practices, but the fleeting moments when you were alone felt like stolen treasures.

the liberty’s games became your sanctuary, the energy of the crowd and the adrenaline of competition a welcome distraction. still, you couldn’t help but notice the way fans began to piece things together. whispers of a connection between you and sabrina floated through social media, the occasional tweet or post speculating about your friendship. you both brushed it off, convincing yourselves that it was just fan speculation.

“it’s just a coincidence,” sabrina said during a team dinner, her eyes darting around the table to make sure no one was listening. “people are just looking for drama.”

“yeah, drama that we’re feeding them by sneaking kisses in the locker room,” you teased, trying to lighten the mood. sabrina chuckled but her smile faded as she looked around, still wary of being caught.

as the season progressed, you both put your all into every game, the chemistry on the court translating into victories that fueled your determination. but with every win, the scrutiny intensified. fans were quick to capture your interactions, posting clips of sabrina’s lingering glances or the way you leaned in to whisper something during huddles.

“i think they’re onto us,” you admitted one night, sprawled across your bed while sabrina sat next to you, scrolling through social media. “look at this thread.” you pointed to your phone screen, where fans were dissecting every little thing.

sabrina sighed, her brows furrowing. “we’ll figure it out. right now, we just need to stay focused.”

but as the championship game approached, the tension was palpable. both of you could feel it in the air, a mix of excitement and anxiety. the liberty had made it to the finals, and everything was on the line. in the locker room before the game, sabrina caught your eye, her expression serious.

“no matter what happens tonight, just know that i’m so grateful for you,” she said, her voice low but full of emotion.

“me too, sab,” you replied, a smile spreading across your face. “we’ve come this far together.”

the game was intense, each possession filled with adrenaline. the crowd roared, the atmosphere electric as the liberty fought for the title. as the final seconds ticked down, the arena erupted into cheers, and you jumped up, pure elation coursing through you.

after the final buzzer, sabrina was mobbed by her teammates, but all you could think about was her. as she broke free from the celebration, she scanned the crowd until her eyes found yours. in that moment, everything else faded away. sabrina rushed over, her face glowing with joy.

“we did it!” she shouted, pulling you into a tight embrace. you could feel the warmth radiating from her, and for the first time all season, you didn’t care about the whispers. you leaned in and pressed your lips against hers, the kiss filled with all the passion and secrecy you had held back for so long.

the world around you blurred into a haze of cheers and confetti, but in that moment, it was just you and her. when you finally pulled away, the realization of what you had just done sank in. the fans around you had witnessed everything, their phones capturing the moment that would ignite the rumors into a full blaze.

“well, there goes our secret,” you said with a nervous laugh, your heart racing as you glanced around at the wide-eyed fans.

sabrina’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “let them talk,” she said confidently.

the celebration continued, and as the team gathered for photos, you and sabrina stood close together, her arm draped protectively around your shoulders. you felt free, ready to face the prying eyes of the world, with the person you loved most.

as always, thanks for reading. leave me some requests!

[jahayla-parker]

📱SMAUs: The 2 request limit for this applies to 2 of the same character (in other words, you can send in more than 2 SMAU requests so long as it’s a max of 2 per character) this can include fictional and nonfictional characters. Please include any side characters, events/details, or other information surrounding the SMAU request. If you want it to be with a specific type of reader, please be specific. You’ll get a SMAU fic with at least two posts from the reader and 2 from the character chosen.

okay what about freddy x wife!reader where she is also a part of the cast and they are always couple goals and everyone loves them together <3

Behind the Scenes Love : Freddy Carter x Reader

Freddy Carter x wife!reader , Freddy Carter x co-star!reader

Descr: SMAU, Reader is Freddy’s wife and part of the SaB cast and their coworkers love their relationship

Warnings: relationships dynamics including but possibly not limited to; kissing, flirting, etc.

Liked by freddycarter1, shadowandbone, benbarnes, and 693,025 others

yourusername: Did someone say Season 2? 🖤

📸: @/freddycarter1

View all 3320 comments

freddcarter1: did someone say gorgeous? 😍

yourusername: stooppp I love you 🥹

shadowandbone: we can’t wait!

lbardugo: I’m so glad you are the one to take on this role! Couldn’t have picked a better person for the new (to the fans) character! 🖤

yourusername: I’m so honored! Thank you xxx 🤗

benbarnes: pleased to have you back😉

archierenaux3: blood relation doesn’t mean anything 😉😉

yourusername: @/benbarnes @/archierenaux3 hmm 👀🤔

sab_uk4ever: what does this mean?! Is she playing a character who will be The Darkling’s relative like Mal?!

amitasuman_: the fact Freddy was laying on the wet ground to take this photo 🤣 you two are too cute I swear 🥰

yourusername: isn’t he simply the best? 🥰

Liked by lbardugo, yourusername, benbarnes, and 817,328 others

freddycarter1: Black is the new black

View all 531,974 comments

yourusername: not sure how to feel about my real life relative and on screen relative bonding….? Kidding, ily both 🖤🎩

benbarnes: please, we all saw the way you were drooling over your husband’s smile 😌

amitasuman_: drooling is a bit of an exaggeration, but she surely is smitten ☺️

yourusername: am I supposed to be ashamed of that? 🤨

freddycarter1: haha 😘 @/yourusername

lbardugo: rulers of their respective domains 🖤

sab_bts_: I’m dying! This iissss saur cute! 🙌

Liked by freddycarter1, amitasuman_, benbarnes, and 793,025 others

yourusername: Loving this cozy costume 🖤

View all 4320 comments

freddycarter1: You do look pretty cozy, and cute 😉 xx

yourusername: you’re welcome to come cuddle between scenes/takes ☺️

benbarnes: My cloak is much more intricate

freddycarter1: Yet she still manages to outshine you 😏

benbarnes: If it wasn’t for the fact that I know I’ll always be a step lower than y/n in your eyes, I’d feel betrayed, xxxx

lbardugo: definitely looks super soft! Is it fuzzy?

yourusername: It’s velvety on the outside! 🖤

ycn_sab: You are seriously like the prettiest cast member!

freddycarter1: Isn’t she? 🥰

calahan.skogman: New goal: get yourself someone who hypes you up in comments on your own post

yourusername: accomplished via @/freddycarter1🥹❤️ & I will say it’s a great feeling

Liked by yourusername, lbardugo, archierenaux3, and 855,249 others

freddycarter1: Had an ace of a time getting to shoot scenes with the incredibly talented @/yourusername on set today 🎥

View all 7569 comments

yourusername: Had the best time seeing you behind the camera today love 😘

amitasuman_: We could tell xxx

benbarnes: And I thought the most precious thing was watching Freddy break character in y/n’s presence, but the roles being reversed was just as heartwarming 🙌

lbardugo: honored to have the Carter family on our cast and crew team 🖤

cartersonsab: 🥹 OTP!

archierenaux3: The smiles on both of your faces was too much ☺️

Liked by freddycarter1, archierenaux3, yourusername, and 993,025 others

benbarnes: BTS with my favorite couple 📸

View all 4320 comments

yourusername: Ben 🤣 why are you sneaking photos of Freddy and I? Lmao

freddycarter1: at least we look good ����🏻‍♂️

yourusername: we always look good together 😘

benbarnes: this, this ^^^ is why ❤️

lbardugo: Real life power couple 🖤

archierenaux3: You snuck a photo and this is the best you could do? 🙄

benbarnes: It’s not a contest mate haha

carterfamilyuk: I love them sm 🥲

amitasuman_: this is very cute!

Liked by yourusername, freddycarter1, benbarnes, and 643,178 others

archierenaux3: a much better photo of our cheesin’ cast mates ❤️

View all 3279 comments

yourusername: lol oh my gosh, is this a thing now?

freddycarter1: mate 😂 were you in the bushes to get this shot?

archierenaux3: no comment

freddycarter1: creep

benbarnes: 😂

amitasuman_: If you divs make them stop being so cute on set, I’m coming for you both @/archierenaux3 @/benbarnes

freddycarter1: Nothing could keep me from enjoying being on set with my darling wife 🤷🏻‍♂️

yourusername: @/freddycarter1 ilysm ❤️

freddycarter1: @/yourusername love you too darling, always; even if it means we have our own version of paparazzi now 😂 xx

calahan.skogman: this trend is almost as cute as the couple themselves 🤗

crowsandshadows: I’m all for this trend!!!

Liked by yourusername, freddycarter1, lbardugo, and 954,296 others

jessie_mei_li: night out with the cast meant I got to spend time with these two, couple goals much? I think yes! 🥰

View all 6482 comments

freddycarter1: smh, can’t go anywhere these days without having your picture taken, love that 🙄

yourusername: as impressive as that level of sarcasm was dear, you realize how hypocritical you sound? 🤣

freddycarter1: Way to call me out 😒 but I can’t help it, I’ll never have enough pictures of you 😘

yourusername: I meant taking you taking photos of ✨ us✨ cutie ❤️

freddycarter1: My statement applies to both situations ☺️ xxx

benbarnes: absolutely couple goals! Couldn’t agree more

yncarterforever: living for this cast trend rn 🙌

amitasuman_: this is so comfortingly aesthetic 🥰

Liked by benbarnes, yourusername, freddycarter1, and 643,197 others

amitasuman_: Since he taught me how to use my film camera, it’s only right that I share my version of this fabulous couple brought to you by said camera

@/freddycarter1 @/yourusername love you both sm

View all 2794 comments

yourusername: Amita, I love you ❤️ I so didn’t see you participating in this trend lol

amitasuman_: I had to, you two are too perfect!

yourusername: we are pretty perfect together 🥰

benbarnes: Alright, alright, I lost at my own game, I get it 😂

freddyandyn: sobbing, get you someone who looks at you the way these two look at each other 🥹

freddycarter1: damn, we look good 😘 @/yourusername

yourusername: You always look good sweetheart 😍🙌

freddycarter1: * we

lbardugo: wow, we have such a multi-talented cast! This is a great photo 🖤

Liked by yourusername, amitasuman_, benbarnes, and 975,237 others

freddycarter1: Mine, xoxo ❤️

View all 6441 comments

archierenaux3: not Freddy himself participating in this contest 😂👌

benbarnes: This isn’t fair, surely you have an unlimited amount of options to choose from

freddycarter1: Of course I do, have you seen her? How could I not take photos with her? 😍

yourusername: stoppp 🥹❤️

lbardugo: 🖤

calahan.skogman: I can feel the joy in this photo xx

amitasuman_: even away from us lot you two are couple goals ❣️

yourusername: and you’re mine 😉❤️

freddycarter1: proudly, xxx😘

shadowandbone: family 🖤

Liked by freddycarter1, archierenaux3, benbarnes, and 964,127 others

yourusername: Love: My Version ❤️

📸 by my effortlessly talented and humorous husband, AKA @/freddycarter1 xoxoxo 💋

View all 7542 comments

benbarnes: Okay I think we can all agree y/n won this one

archierenaux3: the real winners are @/freddycarter1 and @/yourusername

amitasuman_: life’s true winners and the ultimate couple goals for sure ❣️

freddycarter1: Are you taken? 🥵

yourusername: happily so 😘

shadowsbonescrows: SOBBING HYSTERICALLY

tommyae: didn’t expect a photo of my little brother and my sister-in-law to make me miss my girlfriend so much, leave it up to you two to be such a prime example of pure love ❤️

freddycarter1: you’re so pretty 😍

yourusername: stop flirting over Instagram and come kiss me again 💋

Taglist: @ell0ra-br3kk3r @missdreamofendless @nikfigueiredo @b3kk3r-by-br3kk3r @alex-kazbrekkersimp @opheliaofficial07 @historynerd77 @el-de-phi

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[padfootagain]

Some Perfect Bloopers

Hello! Today, we are answering a request by @thenerdysimp : ‘I just had another idea, and I don’t know if you’ve done something like this already but I’d like to request it anyway.

I know you’ve done one where she surprises Ben on his birthday but I was thinking that maybe she just randomly for no reason in particular surprises him on set of shadow and bone. Like she has talked to the crew and the cast telling them that she is coming so that they are in on the surprise. She has contact with Jessie or someone and they tell her when Ben is filming a scene so she can walk on set to get a good clip of him getting distracted by her for the bloopers or something. It’s all just a cute surprise reunion🥰’

Hope you enjoy what I’ve prepared for your request!

I hope everybody enjoys this little piece of pure cuteness! Tell me what you think about it!

****

Pairing: Ben Barnes x reader

Warnings: Unbearable cuteness and tooth-rotting fluff

Summary: The cast of SaB and you organise a surprise for Ben: you’re coming to Hungary without warning and surprise him on set. Of course, the camera’s rolling, it will make some amazing bloopers…

Word Count: 1845

Ben Barnes’s Masterlist – Main Masterlist

You were nervous, even if there were no reasons for you to be.

There was still a lump in your throat, a twist at the pit of your stomach. You rubbed your clammy hands on your dark jeans, before climbing out of your cab, staring at the large building where the Shadow and Bone cast was working…

You had come in Hungary a couple of times while Ben was working on the first season of his show, but the view of the large building was still impressive.

You thanked the taxi driver as he helped you with your large suitcase, paid for your ride. You had barely turned around that Kaz Brekker was appearing behind you, only, Freddy’s version was wearing a large grin.

“Y/N!”

You laughed at his warm welcome, giving Freddy a hug. It was still a little strange to see him in full costume.

“Wow, look at you, mister Brekker!” you joked. “A true Crow!”

“Thanks! Luckily for us all, even after a couple of years, I still got it!”

You laughed, and Freddy picked up your heavy bag while you dragged your suitcase towards the building. You would be staying for three full weeks, so your luggage was rather heavy.

“How was your flight? Everything went fine?” Freddy asked, holding the door for you.

“Thanks. Yes, it was alright. Just… exhausting, but it all went smoothly.”

“You could take a nap for a few hours and see Ben this afternoon…”

But he laughed as he caught your eyes.

“Absolutely not. I haven’t seen him in seven weeks, I don’t care about not sleeping for three days to see him if I have to!”

Freddy laughed hard at that, raising a soothing hand, the black glove shining slightly under the artificial light of the hall.

“Alright, alright. Well, Ben is filming in area B today, I’ll get you there. You’ll have to hide with the make-up team for about half an hour, they’re doing a scene that’s a bit too technical to waste time on it for now. But then, Jessie and Ben have some heavy dialogue to go through, it’ll be better suited for our devilish plan.”

“Heavy dialogue?” you laughed, and Freddy soon joined you.

“Well, it gets kind of heavy when characters want to kill each other all the damn time.”

“True, true…”

Freddy hid you away in the make-up department, and you spent some time chatting with a couple of artists you had met before, waiting for one of the Crows to come and pick you up. The planned half-an-hour turned into a full hour, but you didn’t mind waiting. What you minded was the way your heart raced in your chest as Kit appeared by the door.

He rushed to hug you first, but you were surprised to find the whole gang waiting for you in the corridor.

“What are you all doing here?” you asked, hugging Calahan.

“Do you really thing that we would miss Ben’s face when he sees you? Absolutely not!”

You chuckled at their silliness, but were glad to accept their company as you walked across the building to reach the large hangar where the set had been built.

Ben was shooting a scene in some kind of cave, filled with parchments, torches and old wooden tables.

Everyone was in on the prank, and you wondered how they had managed to keep Ben in the dark. Even the director waved and shot you a mischievous wink when you walked in.

You easily hid behind Calahan’s large shoulders to walk in the room unnoticed, and remained quiet as Ben and Jessie finished their scene, a mix of anger and seduction. Ben was facing you, but he was deep in character and barely noticed the large group coming in. You were, for the most part, hidden in the shadows anyway.

You loved watching him work. He was impressive like this, in a dark kefta, with scars across his face, in full make-up and costume. His voice was deeper than usual, firm and threatening, a tone you weren’t used to hear coming from such a sweet man. He still looked mesmerizing though, oozing charms and something magnetic that made you want to run to him as soon as you saw him. He was talented enough to make you feel as threatened as Alina would have been if this were real.

The loud Cut! rang through the room, and you hid more carefully behind Calahan, making sure Ben wouldn’t notice you if he looked up.

And he did. He frowned hard at the sight of the entire group standing there, behind the cameras.

“Hi!” he laughed, Jessie turning towards the crows as well.

But if Ben seemed puzzled, Jessie couldn’t refrain an excited grin.

“What are you all doing here?” Ben asked, frowning.

“We’ve come take a look!” Freddy answered.

“And we’re waiting for you to go to lunch. Hurry up! We’re starving!” lied Amita.

You were struggling hard not to laugh, imagining Ben’s face as he let out an amused chuckle.

“Alright, alright,” he shrugged, used to his co-stars’ silliness.

Archie thought it would be hilarious to tease you some more and started poking at your arm. You almost choked as you swatted his hand away, and Ben seemed to notice the laughter Archie was trying to hold back.

“What are you all planning now?” Ben asked slowly, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Nothing…”

The director faked to check something on the screen, before interrupting the group’s banter.

“It was very good, both of you. But I think we should try to move the camera differently. We’ll do the same scene again, just to get another angle.”

“Should we change our marks?” Ben asked.

“No, no, no. We’ll just change the movement of the camera to catch the light differently. Just play the same thing again.”

Ben and Jessie were given a few seconds to fall back into character, before the camera was rolling again.

And that was your moment to strike.

Ben was focused on Jessie, speaking in a slow, half-seducing and half-threatening tone. He didn’t notice at first that everyone was moving away to let you pass through. He was bothered by the movements beyond Jessie, but he was too focused to realise what was happening. Only when you stepped before the whole group did he start losing focus. Because there was a patch of colour, there, beyond Jessie’s shoulder, that was the exact hue of his favourite shirt of yours…

He couldn’t help but blink and look up, just for a second, but then…

… it lasted but an instant and yet he was almost certain that he had seen your shirt and… you… wearing it…

He did a double-take, blinking a few times more while doubt clouded his mind and he lost track of his piece of dialogue, and looked up again, his gaze lingering on your frame this time.

His mouth fell open and he completely silent.

You… You were there…

Jessie started laughing, moving out of the way, while everyone exploded with laughter, while realization slowly sank in Ben’s mind.

He closed his eyes tightly, a grin breaking across his features as he buried his face in both his hands.

You walked closer, chuckling and grinning even though you had tears in your eyes. After all… you had missed him so much.

He bent over for a couple of seconds, before standing straighter again.

“SURPRISE!” Jessie started the shout, but everyone in the room joined in.

Ben looked up, standing straighter again. He finally lowered his hands, and he walked towards you, closing the distance between the two of you in an instant. You welcomed him with open arms and he held you tight, his face immediately buried in your hair.

“What are you doing here?!” he asked, throat tight with emotion, but there was also so much joy in his tone, such a bright smile on his face…

“I’m here to see you, obviously.”

“How long?”

“Three weeks.”

You breathed in his perfume, your nose pressed to his shoulder, before he would pull away just enough to look at you. He was grinning and crying at the same time, and so were you.

“Three weeks?!” he asked, taken aback. “And you haven’t told me anything?”

“It wouldn’t have been a surprise if I had, would it?”

“And everyone knew, I suppose.”

“I had my accomplices.”

He let out a bright laugh, holding you close again.

People started cheering, and Ben seemed to remember where he was, where he stood, that he was surrounded by his colleagues and was not, in fact, alone with you.

He blushed fiercely, pulling away. But then again, you looked so beautiful, and your smile was so bright, and your lips were so tempting, and he had missed you so much…

Damn be the whole crew. Damn be the teasing he would earn from this. Damn be every single one of his castmates for clearly being in on it.

Damn be the rest of the world, of the Universe even, when you stood there, before him, after so many weeks spent apart, when a mere hour already seemed way too much to be spent without you.

He stared into your eyes again, hands moving from around you to hold your face, tender yet firm, to make sure you would remain close.

“Damn it. All of it.”

And before you could reply, Ben was leaning down to kiss you. Passionately, deeply, like there was no one else in the room.

People shouted, catcalled, cheered. You barely noticed a sound. You were too busy abandoning yourself to the feeling of his lips, of his tongue, of his hands over your cheeks… melting against his tall frame, feeling lucky he was there to catch you when your knees were too weak to bear your weight.

When you broke apart again, out of breath, you were both grinning like idiots, brushing your noses together, holding on each other tight again.

And Ben didn’t seem to notice that the camera was still rolling. That about a year later, the footage would be used to tease him profusely by the cast until a part of it would be revealed for the entirety of the internet to go absolutely insane. He barely noticed his colleagues at all until he finally took a step back, holding both your hands in his, but turning to the room around him. No, he didn’t notice anything for a while but you, your eyes, your smile, your perfume…

“I’ve missed you so much,” Ben whispered, lips barely parted from yours at all. “Thank you so much for coming here.”

“I’ve missed you too. I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

He shook his head in amazement, still barely able to believe it was all real.

“You’re really here.”

It was more of a statement than a question. Still, it was hesitant, uncertain. Your voice, though, was perfectly steady when you answered. It was more of a promise than a statement.

“I’ll always be here, Ben. Always.”

*****************************

Taglist: @reg-arcturus-black @sergeantbuckybarnes @wolfmoonmusic

[the-sweet-hibiscus]

On the Topic of Christina Strain & SaB

So while browsing the hellscape that is Twitter today, the first thing you see in the Shadow & Bone Fandom, is this exchange between Christina Strain (a producer/writer on the show) and a fan.

And I didn't think this would be necessary to say, but this is EXTREMELY unprofessional on the part of Christina.

But I do want to take the time to look and explain WHY from the perspective of someone who is a professional creative by job description. Christina, openly, speaks about her time as a writer on Shadow and Bone. Which is well within her right, as a creative, many times the appeal of following is for behind the scenes takes, more insight into writing decisions, and generally furthering the interest in a show / property after it has concluded. Especially if the conclusion was incomplete and/or canceled before the full story was told.

So here we have a situation.

The Question:

So the question Merel (the fan) asked was about the obvious sidelining of Alina Starkov, our main character. It's not an opinion that Alina was sidelined, it's been observed numerous times, most recently in this collider article talking about / reviewing the blatant reduction of character for Alina.

Merel's question, originally was about S3. Specifically, where was Alina, was there ever a plan for her? Originally, Christina just said, there was nothing written for Alina, and she had a vague idea of a separate storyline.

To which, Merel responded with the wide-spread rumor that Six of Crows, had been rejected by Netflix three times. For reasons not relevant — that rumor isn't true. But she also expressed frustration, as since the announcement of the show's cancelation, Christina specifically has given an overwhelming amount of attention and care to Six of Crows, while not seeming to have any real passion for the Shadow and Bone property or it's characters. Christina's response starts out professional. She clarifies, Six of Crows was not rejected (aka the rumor wasn't true) and that she didn't have control over that decision, which is true.

Where Christina stops being professional, is the other half of her response.

The Response

Here is where so many people take offense, and find issue. Christina, openly shames the Darklina ship. Which isn't inherently bad, no one is forced to like a ship, however. It had NOTHING to do with the question at hand. Just because a fan likes a certain dynamic, of a ship that at one point was canon, and likes to explore that, doesn't mean that they don't know what they're talking about when they're just asking about the future of a character. Merel didn't ask "Oh, how are you going to make this darklina?" She didn't even mention the ship. The only reason Christina even knew about Merel's shipping preference is because she either went on Merel's page or looked at the "Relevant People" column on Twitter for Desktop.

And now we venture into a much worse territory.

Bullying

Let's take a look at the power dynamic in this exchange.

Christina has 9.58K Followers on Twitter. Merel has 114.

Christina is a producer/writer on the show. Merel is a fan.

Christina has a self-appointed responsibility to promote the petition to bring her show back. Merel is a part of the larger community who supported the show. Christina is 42 years old. Merel is 19.

Instead of, ignoring the second response. Or even just clarifying the rumor and moving on, Christina decides that it'd be best to expose this account to harassment from her much larger base. Who responded in kind.

What was the reason? Truly?

Fans are supposed to only engage with a show if it matches how you specifically view it? They can't have questions, or criticisms, or thoughts? Because what was so mean about Merel's statement? What was insulting that Christina had to bring in shit that had nothing to do with the conversation? The rumor accusation? Is that worth getting attacked over? Is that worth attacking over?

The Correct Response

Move on.

No one would have an issue if the conversation ended a tweet earlier. Christina has over 9K followers, anyone could reasonably assume she was simply inundated with responses and couldn't/wouldn't respond further. Her first statement, was fine. To book fans, it may be frustrating, especially if they believed the rumor, but it was still a calm-ish response.

Merel could've been frustrated and that would've been the end of it. Instead, Christina decided her best course of action was to attack a fan, just because she enjoyed the same ship dynamic as people who were rude to her before. Decided to belittle that fan's interest in her show, bc she didn't like the way that fan interacted with them.

It's childish. It's gross. It's lashing out at someone b/c they want to know why the main character wasn't paid attention to in their show.

Anyway, it's clear Christina has a definitive disdain for the darklina fans of Shadow and Bone. It's clear she doesn't respect the people who support her show — unless they just unconditionally praise it. So that's it then. A disappointing end to Shadow and Bone, and an even more disappointing showing of character from the producers/writers.

[crowleybrekkers]

was looking through old texts and i found my shadow and bone cancellation rant omg

netflix already had s3 of sab written and they still cancelled it. the wasted potential of the ice court heist and six of crows plot all down the drain

it annoys me so much because they didn’t even do the books justice in s2. i suppose it was kinda okay of them to do so since they weren’t expecting a renewal so they just dumped all of the major content in one season. it’s good that they included scenes that a lot of fans wanted but it ended up just seeming very very rushed and some of them were just useless. they combined the plot of sas and rar and included moments from ck and row. i’m happy that we got to see those scenes in live action since we’re never going to see those scenes in the spin-off or s3 but at the same time i wanted s2 to be solely sas to follow the books properly. leigh even said beforehand that it’s like fanfiction and she’s right.

even s1 was pretty messy because the crows aren’t supposed to be there and it just seems like the person making it just wanted the soc but was forced to make sab. tbh they should’ve made them separate like in the books but then again almost everyone prefers soc over sab even though it’s the sequel so it’s pretty understandable that they just decided to combine them into one show.

i’m really hoping for a reboot of sab in the future that improves on the things the current sab missed. but i’m really sad about the loss of the current cast like almost all of them are perfect casts for their roles and i can imagine how difficult it would be to recast their characters for a remake.

and the good thing is there’s still gonna be more grishaverse content. the mobile game is confirmed and the next book is also coming. even though leigh hasn’t given any updates on it i’m 100% sure that it’ll come soon we just have no idea when

okay tl;dr fuck netflix and their cancellation of shadow and bone and six of crows spin-off they’re stupid and i will hate them forever may the pillows of the people behind that decision be warm for eternity

[desidarling123]

SAB Scene Breakdown: Inej's Hallucination

OK, so I had actually been meaning to write and publish some meta on this particular scene (and just tons of SAB S2 meta, in general) in the weeks after the second season of the show came out. But life has been crazy recently, so I truly never found the time.

However, I reblogged a certain gifset a few days/weeks ago, slapped some tags on it, and realized there might indeed be some interest in some more #detailed thoughts.

The analysis that follows is at a pretty minute level of detail (and all of course based on MY views) so... take that with a grain of salt.

Also - fair warning - it's long as hell 😂 but entertaining, I hope!

I find this whole sequence in general super fascinating - it's one of my favorite scenes in the second season, and one that's also arguably subject to the absolute worst takes in fandom (iykyk... and if you don't, well, you're about to find out.)

So, let's get into it:

We start off strong with a very specific choice, made early on: it's not Inej seducing Kaz; rather, it's Kaz who's drawing Inej into this vision.

I get a bit more into the broader implications of that a bit later, but it's definitely important that it's done this way, rather than the other way around.

It's also, very notably, an inverse of this scene from a few episodes earlier:

What's unique about that previous scene is that in that moment, he's deliberately pushing her away (for reasons, mind you, that she's not entirely privy to, but definitely hurt her regardless - even if she pretends not to care about it to his face later on).

This is different. Instead of pushing her away, he is asking her to stay.

The choice of words is specific too: the word 'disappear' most obviously references her status as his spider. But it might also be an apt description of her own personal trappings, of 'disappearing' when in the throes of trauma-induced pressure.

Some atmospheric details I love:

Their IRL confrontation was in his office-cum-bedroom (👀shutup), a tiny, crammed space that matched the tension of that scene. This is the opposite of that - the room has a more open layout, imbuing the whole sequence with a more relaxed vibe. We can even see his cane chilling on the table behind him, just in reaching distance.

The DeKappel painting which they jointly stole in the books (and presumably on the show as well) is behind them.

Fire burning as a symbol for latent passion is not exactly groundbreaking imagery, but don't fix what ain't broke, amirite? :P

Malina, very notably, gets the same fire imagery treatment in their own love scene as well:

Will it show up again in a future season for kanej? Between that and, well, the recurring church imagery, we're in for a tossup, folks

But anyways. Back to the scene at hand.

You'll notice Inej goes back to a formal stance, hands behind her back, like she's preparing for a debrief or for an assignment. It's for a few seconds, if that, but it shows that she's grasping at some semblance of normalcy in this decidedly not-normal vision.

That facade lasts for all of, two seconds, tops, when he does this:

It's sexy! It's intimate! There's knives involved!

Okay, but seriously, for the sake of time I actually will not get into a deeper discussion of the ~implications~ because I'm sure it's been done a zilllion times before and it's also fairly obvious lol

Now, the one thing I *do* want to pivot to here is that by this point, both Inej and the audience understand that there is something very subtly yet fundamentally different about hallucination!Kaz.

But what is it?

Speaking on this scene, Freddy Carter had a quote (that I cannot be arsed to find rn) where he basically said that he deferred to Amita when playing hallucination!Kaz because "she (Amita) knows better (than I do) what it is that Inej likes about Kaz"

And what is it, exactly, that she likes about him? The next few gifs tell all, using actions rather than words.

This is her reaction to him pulling her knives from her. And what I find so interesting is that she is so (rightfully) startled....

But that is absolutely NOT the expression on his face at all.

In fact, he's remarkably self-assured.

And THAT, I think, is the crux of 'what it is she likes about him', as Frreddy said.

She likes his decisiveness, the single-minded precision with which he operates.

She's seen him apply it to every last scheme, every seemingly-hopeless situation... to damn near everything in the world, really, but her.

But here, in the depths of her hallucination, he does.

There are none of his usual hangups, none of their typically frustrating back-and-forths.

No. Here, he doesn't hesitate. He wants her, and he makes it known.

Striking, sexy stuff, to say least.

Let's go on:

Nothing to add here except that I'm obsessed with the way their heads turn at the same time here.

It's funny, because for all their personal hang-ups when it comes to physical intimacy, these two are SURPRISINGLY physically attuned to each other.

Goes to show, really, how much both of their problems are in their heads (obviously) -- and how, when they're actually ready to heal, relying on their intuition may be a better approach than getting too cerebral about it.

Again, Kaz does not break eye contact with her here, and it's such a contrast to what he might have instead done if this were happening in real life - in fact, does happen, in real life, though I'd argue that isn't exactly his fault.

I love that we get a moment where Inej looks down and sees his hand hovering near her waist, just so that it's made explicitly clear what he's asking for and what the ~implications~ are.

And then, she says yes! Enthusiastically, I might add.

Not but seriously the sheer want, the little touch of eagerness on her face kills me here. She's never had this experience before - has only ever known men violating her in the most horrible way possible - and yet this tiny little thing, of Kaz asking her for consent, means so much.

Oh my God Kaz is so sexy here sorry no words anyway carrying on.

Now even after she said yes you can see this sudden little beat of hesitation on her face, like she's maybe not sure what's going to happen or if Kaz is going to do what she asked. For her it's a moment of incredible vulnerability, even though Kaz is the one sort of making the advances on her - because this one time, she actually gets to say yes.

I think that shot of his arm going around her waist is so gorgeous and so sensual - but as we pan up we can see that maybe all isn't well.

Now, Amita also really does a fantastic job at portraying the turbulence of Inej's emotions -- she goes from clearly wanting it and saying 'yes', to visibly panicking once he acts on it. We see her shift around in his grip and even swallow nervously, blink-blink-blinking herself back into the moment.

Her response is reminiscent of this passage from the books:

But what might have happened if he'd spoken that night? If he had willingly offered her some part of his heart? What if he had come to her, laid his gloves aside, drawn her to him, kissed her mouth? Would she have pulled him closer, kissed him back? Could she have been herself in such a moment, or would she have broken apart and vanished, a doll in his arms, a girl who could never quite be whole?

You can see the very beginning of that sort of panic start to set in, here. This is completely uncharted territory for Inej - her own desire, the shame and baggage that comes with it, is all getting uncovered for the first time in what is arguably the 'safest' way possible - within the confines of her own mind - and yet, she's still panicking.

More on that in a bit. Let's keep going.

Anyways well Freddy's got a huge hand sorry anyway 

I love the way she closes her eyes here. And you can see again it's not without effort - like there's still conflict within her, you can see all of those different emotions warring within her - but she is trying to let herself have this moment. She's trying to take comfort in this touch that she so desperately wants and yet hasn't had any sort of good connotations with in recent history. 

She also opens her eyes just as he starts to lean in and I think that was a great, deliberate choice on Amita and Freddy's part.

It's that precise moment, really, when it becomes super super clear to her what's about to happen.

No notes, I just really love this forehead lean, it's that little bit of tenderness and intimacy that she's been subconsciously craving.

 Again, it's fascinating to me that we can see all of Inej's nervous tics coming into play here, but for hallucination!Kaz there's absolutely no hesitation at any point whatsoever.

It looks like, for all intents and purposes, he is going to kiss her.

And then at the very very last second you see him move back, ever-so-slightly --

and then she moves all the way back and delivers her line:

Ouch. Like a punch to the gut. True, but still ouch.

Now one could probably ask, in hypotheticals: why didn't he actually kiss her at this moment? And the answer to that simply is: this is her hallucination, you know? Even though she's not conscious of it (she's dying lol), she's the one with all the power, here.

And truthfully, whether she knows it or not, nothing is going to happen in her hallucination if she doesn't want it to.

But wait, you might say. Doesn't she want to kiss Kaz?

Like that original excerpt from the book indicates, it's complicated. Everything pertaining to desire generally will be, for her.

Not that her subconscious doesn't put up a good ol' fight. Hallucination!Kaz, you have to remember, isn't so much Kaz as he is a very precise amalgamation of her own memories and desires.

And boy, does he make a good argument:

The word want, again, spoken so directly here - it's that sort of straightforward speech that neither party is actually really capable of (at this point) in their arcs, not when it comes to each other.

Again, Kaz is behaving perfectly in the prescribed character of his hallucination persona - direct, confident, not rattled in the slightest.

It's interesting also that he doesn't say: this is real. He isn't able to lie to her in her own fantasy, but he does instead tell her exactly what she wants to hear, which is arguably even more dangerous.

And what I feel so terrible about is you can see this tiny little spark this little bit of hope on her face that she has.

She wants to believe this so so badly. She wants it, damn it!

So this time, she actually moves closer, crosses that distance between them. 

You can't see it super well in this gif, but you can see a little tiny muscle twitch in her jaw, a nervous swallow as she's bracing for him to kiss her the second time. And once again, Kaz isn't hesitating, there isn't any note of that discordant thing that they have in real life from his end.

Now another thing that drives me crazy is people claiming that they did kiss in the scene like bro. Bro. Freddy and Amita did not shoot this scene at no less three separate angles for you to tell us that they kissed!! They didn't kiss, they make it incredibly obvious that they did not kiss, and if you're the one person on planet Earth whose definition of a kiss is front lips brushing for .0000000002 seconds then I'm sorry, you belong to a different category, okay?

And again, that was on purpose! It totally would have defeated the purpose of this particular sequence if they had (and would've given detractors of this scene a real leg to stand on - again, more on that at the very end.)

But as it stands, they don't kiss, and that's also kind of critically why this isn't just a sexy scene to watch back.

AND THEN (I'm out of allowed images HAHA) she pulls away. And she says the words that end it all - This isn't real. This is the poison.

The premise of the hallucination is completely shattered, and she looks so heartbroken, but she's finally able to articulate what she's really known this whole time, and that is that nothing she's seeing is real. It is a lie being fed to her by her poison-addled brain as her body slowly succumbs and dies (dark).

But you know, she does get out of it through sheer willpower, and we love her for that - but oh man but what cost?

This particular sequence is definitely a catalyst for her changed behavior going forward. I do actually wish it had been a little better handled in the show (as in, better supported by dialogue in scenes before and after this one) but regardless - this scene is a Big Tipping Point and starts what is essentially a pseudo-regression arc for Inej (paraphrasing Amita directly, bc that's truly the most apt description of Inej's behavior for the rest of the season.)

It's really bad timing, unfortunately, because it happens just as Kaz is starting to open up like never before. He's starting to see the world in a completely different light while she's doing the exact opposite -- she is shutting down her own dreams and desires when it comes to him, because she's come to the conclusion that it's simply not going to happen.

And you know what, she's not entirely wrong for that assumption, but I do have beef with some of the particulars of how it was executed in the show. But that's a discussion for another day.

Now, onto a brief rant that I alluded to at the very start of this post - my single biggest grievance with fandom is that someone on the internet decided that this scene somehow ‘erased’ Inej’s trauma, when in fact that exact trauma is what underpins the whole damn thing.

The fact that this scene more or less parallels the passage from the books beat for beat, shows, in my opinion, that book fans who make these claims of 'erasure' must have deliberately chosen to ignore this passage from the books, or never even read it in the first place.

Because frankly? Once you take that passage into consideration, the intent of this sequence couldn't have been more obvious!

Just to underscore my point, I want to ask anyone who's reading this to please compare and contrast Inej’s hallucination with Matthias’ dream. If the intent, as many so often like to claim, was simply to make this moment in Inej’s mind a sexy, titillating scene, well then, it would have been shot a lot more closely to the way Matthias’ dream was shot: there's no lack of kissing and even implied penetration (!) which is crazy, because of course, Matthias and Nina have gotten nowhere near that in real life.

There's a sexual aspect to her dream, for sure, but it's not a stereotypically-passionate 'sex dream' so much as it is a thinly-veiled reading into her own desires and the inner turmoil that comes with it.

There's also a very subtle undercurrent here that I picked up on and explore in my ongoing fic , which is that Kaz, in these fantasies, is really always the one taking the lead, so to speak. Inej is not pulling him close or asking to kiss him - and we see that even when she consents to the act, she looks like she's bracing herself for it, rather than excited that it'll happen.

That is fueled no doubt by 1) her realizing it isn't real but also 2) the fact that she is still very much in the middle of her own trauma (having been freed like what? mere days ago? if that?)

Any concept of her own independent desire is still saddled with IMMENSE baggage - and this sequence showcases it perfectly.

I think after the fact, she's consciously aware of 1) but not yet aware of 2) which is beating around in her subconscious and is probably gonna cause her WAYY more problems going forward lol

TLDR; Inej doesn't know it just yet, but she's got loads of her own issues to work through, and until she does, she's going to be stuck in this weird purgatory of being a voyeur to/of her own desires.

[freddycarterus]

Help us save Six of Crows!

DONATE ONLY $1 TO HELP US REACH OUR GOAL! WE ARE GOING TO DO A BILLBOARD FOR SAB TOO!

On November 15th, Netflix announced its cancellation of the Six of Crows project, an adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s beloved Grishaverse duology. Since then, there has been an outpour of grief and heartbreak online from thousands of fans, begging for a reversal.

The novel Six of Crows was first published 8 years ago, gaining critical acclaim and a massive fanbase. Over the years, its numbers have only grown. First appearing on screen in Shadow and Bone, the Crows rapidly became favorites among critics and fans alike. The fandom’s love for the ragtag crew from Ketterdam was so significant and well-known that the show diverges from the book’s canon to include them. When showrunner Eric Heisserer announced in March that a Six of Crows spinoff was in the works the fandom rejoiced, but since being canceled, the fandom's joy quickly turned into dismay and uproar.

With scripts already written, an immensely talented group of people both in front of and behind the camera more than ready to work, and a massive fanbase, it’s baffling that Netflix would choose not to go forward with the project. However, the Grishaverse fandom refuses to accept this fate. 

We refuse to accept that we will never see Inej Ghafa’s empowering backstory, the beautiful love story of Matthias and Nina, the dozens of famous lines that make us weep, or a single scene with all of our beloved Crows together.

We have organized this Kickstarter campaign to show Netflix that we reject this abrupt and heartbreaking end. For the cast, for the crew, for all of us that love this world and these characters, we will fight to see this story on screen.

Donations to this Kickstarter will be put towards the renting of a large billboard in Los Angeles demanding Netflix’s action in saving the Six of Crows series. If sufficiently funded, we plan to expand the campaign to other locations to further demonstrate our commitment. 

As exact details will partially depend on the success of this fundraiser, more information about the specific address and duration of the billboard(s) rental will come soon. For questions, keep an eye on this webpage or follow @freddybrekker on X for updates.

It is our hope that Netflix will be forced to listen to the fandom’s dedication to this series as well as our outrage at its cancellation. For our cause to be successful, we must be impossible to ignore.

Finally, we will leave you with words from our brilliant, dedicated and beloved cast of Crows.

“I feel like the fans, myself included, have been really looking forward to seeing the Six of Crows storyline come to life. It's just so, so cinematic, that storyline…It would be heartbreaking to get this close and then not get to see all six of them together." Freddy Carter

“I haven't had the same luxury of Inej's backstory yet, and I think they're saving that. I'm really, really glad that they are. I know the payoff for this, if it does happen, is gonna be absolutely an emotional wreck but in the most beautiful, exciting and exhilarating way.” Amita Suman

“I’m heartbroken by the idea that we won’t be able to finish what we started… I desperately wished to go further, and believe me those plans are special…The patience I’ve carried for that dream these past years has been beating in me like a slow steady drum, and yesterday it paused for the first time.” Calahan Skogman

"[Nina has] helped many people like me to love, like, and accept myself. I tried to stay true to her character.” Danielle Galligan 

“Growing up, I didn’t see that many characters like myself who were in big fantasy series, with violence or [who] even had access to fantasy weapons or got involved in big fights and battles…I think to see a character like myself in those situations is a really cool thing, it’s something that I actually don’t see often.” Jack Wolfe

"I think that I can speak for everyone here when we all really care about doing it well, and we are invested in its success… I think hopefully what you see is something that we are already proud of because we’ve put our blood, sweat, and tears into it. And it’s just a joy to do. So wherever it can go next, if we get the chance to keep going, then you know, we’re all game, we’re all excited to do it." Kit Young

#SaveTheCrows #SaveShadowandBone

“Because that’s what we do. We never stop fighting.” 

“Because that's what we do. We never stop fighting.” -  Kaz Brekker, Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

No mourners. No funerals. 🖤

[anon-s-s-k]

I don't know if it's been spoken about yet, but

In season 2 of Shadow and Bone, we find out that Sturmhond the Privateer was the one behind Dreesen, the wealthy merchant who hired the Crows to kidnap Alina the Sun Summoner and bring her to Ketterdam.

Where in Season 1, we saw the entire scene with Alexie and the heartrender Milana, and it kinda seemed like Dreesen wants the Sun Summoner for his own profit.

Turns out, Dreesen was just another pawn in the grand plan and the real mastermind behind it all was Sturmhond all along.

What a twist!

But Sturmhond the privateer is actually Prince Nikolai of Ravka under disguise.

So all this time, Prince Nikolai of Ravka was trying to get Alina Starkov the Sun Summoner, kidnapped from the Little Palace, which is under the protection of Ravkan Royalty and is the home of the second army of Ravka, the Grisha themselves. That too by a gang of the Barrel of Ketterdam.

I mean, look at them

Yeah, definitely not sketchy at all.

So why is it, that the Ravkan Prince wants their Sun Summoner, the one and only saving grace of his country, to be taken from the most secured place in all of the world, which is under the protection of his own family and is in his own country, and brought to the literal bottom of the hell that is Ketterdam, by a sketchy gang of the Barrel.

Really, it doesn't make much sense.

Most of the YouTube videos explaining SaB season 2 I saw said it was just lazy writing or a plot hole or just something the writers wrote to make the characters more interesting and so on and on and on.

Honestly, I too, had thought the same. However, that was until I re-watched the show for like the 20th time, and saw this scene very closely.

And this got me thinking.

What if? *Drum rolls please*

What if, Prince Nikolai had a hunch about what the Darling was planning to do with Alina and the fold?

Just hear me out here.

Prince Nikolai, as shown in Season 2, is not new to the family political scenarios in the Royal family of Ravka, as well as the political stances of Ravka and the other countries. He is aware of a lot of information that even his family may not be aware of. And with his Sturmhond persona, let's just say this man has quite a lot of sensitive and private information under his belt.

But other than valid information, Prince Nikolai is also incredibly intuitive in nature. We know that Nikolai doesn't trust even the King's Aparet, so it might not be a long shot to say that he doesn't trust General Kirigan either. So maybe, it is possible that Prince Nikolai had a doubt about General Kirigan's loyalty to the crown and to the country. He could've had a hunch that General Kirigan might turn on his own people and use Alina in a way that can cause severe damage to his country.

It's not like Nikolai hasn't seen this man his entire life and doesn't understand how much he's capable of with his shadow summoning powers.

But unlike his elder brother Vasily, Prince Nikolai understands politics. He understands and respects Grisha powers and the second army. He understands that he cannot go against General Kirigan as Prince Nikolai. He knows that the second army is loyal to General Kirigan, and if he goes after General Kirigan directly, it will only cause another war between the first army and the second army. And this will cause an immense amount of bloodshed within the country as history will repeat itself, and this time even the Royals won't be spared from it. He knows that with the neighboring countries being at war with Ravka, the fold being a major concern for the country, and the western parts of the country trying to get independence, a war between the first and the second army will cause the ultimate collapse of Ravka. And Nikolai being the ideal king, the self righteous man and the patriot he is, could not let that happen.

Which is why he decides to go for it by kidnapping the Sun Summoner and handling it all in a more politically balanced way. My guess is that Nikolai intended to keep General Kirigan at a distance from Alina, and get her to destroy the fold while standing beside her himself (which he eventually did, bless his soul!), so that if Kirigan ever tried to weaponize the fold (which he did!), he won't get the chance to get on with it.

Things, however, definitely don't go according to his plan and we know the rest that happens in the show.

Well in the end, things did work in his favour though, well except that damned Nichevoya.

(Also ignoring the whole first army slaughtering the second army and the bloodshed thing that went on in season 2, which I'm pretty sure could have been avoided if the Crows had brought Alina to Sturmhond in time as it was planned, but alas!)

So this is entirely my theory. I've no clue if it's already been stated or is there any other theories or if there's anything specified by the writers or actors. If there's any gap or any wrong information or a grammatical mistake there, please forgive me. I wrote this instead of sleeping.

[ishuess]

Then we were three👣

(Bohot ho gaye moodboards!! Yeh lo aapke liye naya oneshot. Hope you enjoy it. Any one shot prompts are also welcome in the comments. Toodles ab chalo poora padho)

Shubman: ISH!! ISH!! *enters their room*

Ishan(rocking a baby in arm): Shhh! Shubi he's sleeping finally.

Shubman(whispers): The preparations are done..get ready...guests will be coming.

Ishan(continues rocking the baby): I don't know Shubi..I know it's greedy but I don't want to show him to the world. *tears in eye*

Shubman(comes closer to Ishan): We are not showing him to the world...it's just our family, baby.

Ishan: I know it's just that I want to enjoy our little world and never move out of it.

Shubman(gives forehead kiss to Ishan and then to the baby): We can always do that babe..but they are his family too

Ishan (rests his head on Shubman's shoulder): hmm I know..

Shubman: but if you're not ready we can cancel it you know?

Ishan: no..they deserve to know.

Shubman: nobody deserves nothing. You and I make the call in this household mrs.gill ;)

Ishan: SHUBMAN!

( Baby in Ishan's arms starts moving and making noises.

Shubman is looking at Ishan calming the baby with absolute fondness. )

Ishan: Shubman *waves hand in front of him* Shubii..

Shubman(snaps out of it): Haan?

Ishan: What happened?

Shubman: nothing..*hugs Ishan from behind and kisses his earlobe* I love this Ishan..I don't know what I did to deserve you...to deserve Ishir.

Ishan: 16 somvaar ke vrat ;)

Shubman: Hey that's my joke. You stole it.

Ishan: Well..I love stealing what's yours.

Shubman: *pecks Ishan* well as long as I can do this, you can steal my entire being as well.

Ishan: *kisses Shubman* I love us.

Shubman: I love us more.

Raj: Oyye mere bhatije ke saamne yeh sab mat karo..baccho ka dhyaan rakhne bhi nahi aata.

Ishan: I would have appreciated a knock at least.

Raj: In ur next life...now give my lil champ to me and get ready you two..Guests aa jaayenge. *Tries to take Ishir*

Ishan: bhaiya wait...*brings a black thread from the table* let me tie it..pata nahi kab kiski nazar lag jaaye. *ties the black thread*

Raj: Nahi aur do teen baandh de..two on legs, two in hands, one around waist. Don't be paranoid Ishu.

Ishan: *sternly looks at Raj* can't take risks.

Shubman watches the whole scene unfold with a fond smile on face.

Ishan: Shubman..stop getting lost in dreamland.

Shubman: *pulls Ishan by waist* You are my dreamland Ish.

Ishan: Chalo let's get ready.

Shubman: no..I like this. Stay please.

Ishan: Baby we have to get ready. Everyone will arrive soon.

Shubman: shh..I wanted to tell you something..

Ishan: hmm?

Shubman: Thank you..thank you Ish for going through every hardship with you. Thank you for sharing jokes to your every secret with me. Thank you for sharing the biggest gift of my life..Ishir. *kisses Ishan*

Ishan: Dosti mein no sorry, no thank you

Shubman: Dosti?!?

Ishan: Pyaar dosti hai baby..

Shubman: Haan haan pata hai pata hai

Raj(from outside): GET READY YOU LOVEBIRDS!!

Shubman: sorry to say but I might throw bhaiya out tomorrow.

Ishan: I might do that tonight only *laughs*

The day marked the beginning of a new chapter in their life with the arrival of the newest addition to their family- Ishir.

[jackwolfes]

thank you for tagging me @sixofsol !! 🥰💖

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 

144 on my public pseud, 85 in my lil anon collection, 3 floating around secretly in another anon collection, and about 10-15 super super old ones that i orphaned from various asunder fandoms over the years. so at least 232, probably closer to 250 (dear god)

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

1,688,252 words of non-orphaned works (dear GOD)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

primarily six of crows/SAB netflix, but recent fandoms that i might write more for soon include: red white and royal blue, percy jackson, winter’s orbit, bbc merlin, the last binding series, & the pulleyverse 

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

hours (whumpy firstprince fic)

you owe me for blowing up my bed (sab verse missing scene)

like putting on a costume (wesper PWP)

gorgeous (wesper PWP)

a choice of two locked doors (wesper arranged marriage)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

i always try to!! but i’m not the best at it all the time 😅 i make more of an effort to reply to comments that are longer or that draw out particular parts of the fic that the reader liked!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i’m a big slut for a bittersweet but hopeful ending rather than angsty ones!! like possibly my ghost jesper fic because the final scene is Quite Literally wylan dying but like, that’s kinda happy given context???

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

i am still personally enamoured with the vibes in the final scene of ACOTLD 🥰 and it makes me very happy! so! that one! 

8. Do you get hate on fics?

uhhh most regularly i just get snarky gobshites trying to be like, clever and smug about shit, which never really works because i generally don’t care? but then also i sometimes get transphobic hate speech so idk 😅

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

i can't answer this non-sarcastically but like YEAH I'm a VERY HORNY WRITER and I feel like it says more about you than me if you haven't been able to guage that 😅 idk I have gotten a lot tamer though by including porn in longer fics compared to the very explicit collection of PWPs I used to write?? 

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

the closest i’ve gotten to crossover is sneaking shadow and bone characters into SOC fics! or like, the most subtle of references and cameos when I need random OCs like Easter eggs 

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

a few times but i’ve always been vindicated by the fact they’ve never been well done? like it's always been word for word plagiraism (and also the ao3 abuse team is very good at taking things down)

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

not that i’m actually aware of! just podfics sometimes which has been nice 😊

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

never finished one but i’ve got 2-3 wips being co-written with my girlfriend atm 😊

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

i feel like it’s a cop out to say wesper but like,,,, 😅 idk! i like my lil stupid guys!! i like their vibe! 

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I think my problem is that I'm delusional enough to think that I will finish literally all of the WIPs I have started and want to finish even though that's like, 100 fics or something idiotic 😅

16. What are your writing strengths?

Themes and foreshadowing I think!! Like running themes for sure but I've had definitive compliments on my plotting before! I also think I'm pretty good at dialogue, especially arguments, and narrative tension/feelings! 👀

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

i am not very good at cutting my darlings which means things get a bit meandering and diluted sometimes 😅

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

i can get behind it in certain circumstances! personal preference is to translate large chunks of text ie "'[English words],' he said in [language]" but I do write individual words like pet names in other languages 

19. First fandom you wrote for?

fucking hetalia when i was like, 12 🫥 but i have also in past written for: homestuck, haikyuu, yuri on ice, the adventure zone (balance & graduation) and (CONSTANTLY forget this) miraculous ladybug! some of which are better than others ngl 😅

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

well this is like asking me to pick children & is also cruel when i have 230 of them klajdsfsadjfk  UHHH? i mean this is wicked cheating but im really attached to the bridgerton au i haven’t actually finished yet! it’s fully written, but needs editing, and one that i really really like!! in terms of fics i’ve POSTED, i really like “not just girls” (trans egg wylan), “you yearn to feel no hunger” (SAB-verse coda/character study) and a real deep cut, “only imaginary people disappear to peru for ten years” (missing scene from the lost future of pepperharrow)! idk i like a lot of the fics i’ve posted which is a nice position to be in 😅

most folks i know have done this i think but tagging: @kelliealtogether @apricior @doorsclosingslowly & anyone else that sees this & fancies it 😇

[demigodsanswer]

Was Chiron lying to Percy in that last scene, you think? Did he just offer Percy the apprenticeship and then principal contract to keep him from Lupa?

I personally don't think so. Percy got so many principal roles in the Winter season and is slotted to learn so many principal roles in Midsummer that, to me, promoting Percy was always part of his plan.

I do think, though, that Chiron does have a kind of possessiveness over Percy that is slightly different from his favoritism of Annabeth. I think he took a big risk accepting Percy into SAB. At the time Percy got into the school, he really only had three years of ballet training, and only two of those years were at a serious ballet school. So what Chiron sees when he first meets Percy is mostly raw talent; accepting him into SAB is really a leap of faith that Percy can be a massively successful dancer, and Chiron/SAB teachers spend four years really molding Percy into that successful dancer.

Chiron doesn't think Percy owes him anything, but I do think that Chiron feels a bit like "I've put all of this work into this dancer, I really took the chance on him, took that risk to accept him, no way is Lupa getting him." He wouldn't give Percy those positions if Percy hadn't earned them, and I do think Percy was going to be offered both of them, but I also think Chiron feels a bit like "Oh, Percy would never leave New York," and so he (Chiron) needs these moments where Percy reminds him that he very well could and might leave New York.

One of my inspirations for Chiron's character in this fic, besides the series and mythology, was Professor Julian Morrow from Donna Tart's A Secret History. He's this eccentric classics professor who, I thought, was going to be much more of a mastermind behind the situations in that novel, and while I don't think he's a good person, he ended up being more innocent and more of a weird little guy than I expected. So that's kind of what I wanted with Chiron. I wanted him to feel like he maybe had some ulterior motives, or was maybe not totally trustworthy, maybe he had some intense rivalry with Lupa. But also maybe that he's just like "Huh, I should get around to promoting Percy one of these days. He's doing a great job. Oh Lupa is making him an offer? Oh shoot. Well, I'll make my offer when he gets back, and we'll see what he says." I think the reality is in between those two extremes.