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crazyyluvr · 1 year ago

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hi! Can I please please ask a kaz brekker x reader? I was thinking of reader being a blind heartrender. I headcanon blind grishas to have their abilities amplified, and a blind heartrender would be basically daredevil XD.

Thank you in advance for reading the request, I really loved six of crows!

I am the QUEEN of Hearts, Don't Tell Me Otherwise

pairing: kaz brekker x reader

summary: Having a blind Heartrender has its perks. For Kaz Brekker, having a blind Heartrender that can hear his heartbeat change around her has its disadvantages.

genre: fluff

wc: 3.4k

content: reader is blind, fem!reader with she/her prns, violence (some torture), reading is a bit clumsy, kaz's heart speeds up a lot

note: OMG I LOVE THIS IDEA <33 tysm for requesting anon. i hope this layout is fine, i just wanted to try something different. sorry if it's kinda bad, i wrote it in one sitting LMFAO. either way, hope u enjoy!!

oneshot under the cut :: not edited

Perks

1. You didn't need your eyes to see.

It was very useful in heists to have someone who knew that someone was walking towards them without having to actually see them. Being blind somehow enhanced your hearing and your touch on your Grisha powers, and that was why you could do a lot of things easier than other Heartrenders — even Nina — had difficulty with.

It was one of the main reasons why you stuck with Kaz when he had to crack a safe; you were basically his lookout.

"Someone's around three minutes out," you whispered to him, standing a few paces behind Kaz who was hunched over a safe. Your head was tilted to the side, your ears were focusing on a melody only you could hear.

"Scratch that, two minutes out, they're moving faster," you reported. "Are you almost done?"

Kaz focus on the complicated lock didn't break as he replied, "I need more time."

"Okay," You moved forward, hands in front of your thighs to guide you around the desk in front of you.

"Thirty seconds," You said, the heart beat of the approaching guard getting louder and louder. "How down?"

"Shut-eye," He replied.

You put your hand up in front of you.

The doorknob jingled a little, and you activated your power, drastically slowing the heartbeat of the guard before he could open the door. You heard a thud on the floor, and you knew that he was unconscious.

A few seconds later, the safe clicked open. Kaz reached in and grabbed the money that you came for. "You could have at least tried to soften his fall or something. Someone could have heard that."

You shook your head. "There's no one close enough to hear." You turned to Kaz's voice, a small smirk on your lips. "Besides, It's just the two of us. I didn't want to leave you alone, 'cause you'd miss me too much."

Kaz rolled his eyes. "Don't feed your ego. It's not a fitting sight for you."

You laughed a little. "Like you don't do that everyday."

You turned to get out of the room, opening to door to free yourself. The door opened halfway before it suddenly stopped, like it was blocked by something. You didn't expect the obstruction, which caused you to trip over something and fall to the floor with a loud bang on the wooden ground.

Kaz stood over you in concern. You had tripped over the unconscious guard's body. "I thought his body was facing the other way," you groaned.

Kaz didn't have time to reply before both of you heard shouts in the corridors. Looks like they could hear that. He used his cane to get hold of the back of your jacket and pulled you to your feet.

"Time to go!" You dusted yourself off, leaping over the body and speedwalking away from the thundering of more guards, Kaz right at your heels.

2. You could always tell if someone was distressed.

You didn't live in the Slat, since you preferred to have your own place away from the gang, but that didn't make you any less close to Jesper, Inej, Wylan, Nina, and Matthias. You visited the Crows often, whether it be in the Slat or Crow Club.

You knew how important getting together was to them, whether or not they'd admit it. In a life full of mistrust and traitors, it was hard to find a crowd that you could actually trust. Of course, your friends had their own secrets that they kept to themselves, like how you had your own, but being with them without the pressure of telling them those stories was precious.

You were able to loosen up around them, laugh with them without the fear of judgement or that these moments of vulnerability would be used against you.

Instead, you relied on them to just forget your current struggles as you talked about stupid things over drinks.

You also used it as a chance to check up on them. You couldn't see them but you could hear them. Being blind made you sharpen your hearing more, both with our without the use of your Grisha abilities.

You could tell when there was something bothering your friends, which is why you knew there was something bothering Wylan when you and your friends decided to share some drinks in the Crow Club.

Jesper was mid-argument with Nina about what came first: the chicken or the egg. Inej and Matthias were just listening to them, occasionally adding their own thoughts or laughing when either of the debaters made a particularly stupid point.

You noticed that Wylan wasn't talking as much as he normally did. You felt him fidgeting beside you, his arm or his leg twitching more than it usually does.

If those weren't enough of a sign that there was something weighing on his mind, then there was his heart that also proved that point. It never seemed to settle. His shallow breaths that occasionally came in huffs of frustration agitated the muscle in the middle of his chest, making it beat faster than normal.

"Hey," you whispered to him, breaking him out of his troubled trance. He looked at you curiously. "Are you okay?" You asked, your brows unknowingly furrowing in concern.

"I'm fine," Wylan said, smiling reassuringly.

You rolled your white eyes. "You do know that fake smiles won't work on the blind, right?"

Wylan's smile dropped, shocked. "How did you know I was smiling?"

"I didn't," you shrugged, taking a sip from your glass. "I just guessed. But seriously, is there something wrong? You seem more distressed."

Wylan sighed, leaning back in his chair. He looked around at your table, and when he confirmed that none of your companions were paying the two of you any mind, he answered truthfully. "My dad's still sending me letters."

"I hope you've burned those letters," you huffed, feeling your blood boil quietly at the mention of Wylan's horrible sperm donor. "He's just trying to provoke you, make you feel worthless."

"But —"

"Don't even try to tell me that you are worthless, Wylan," you said harshly, turning your head towards him despite your blank eyes not meeting his gaze, instead staring through him. That did nothing to lessen the defiance in them. "You may not be able to read, but who cares? I can read for you, Jesper can read for you. That's kind of the point of having friends, we'll make up for whatever you lack."

Wylan thought about it for a moment. You could tell that your words worked on him from the way his breaths eased and his heart steadied.

"Yeah..." A smile slowly spread on Wylan's lips, a genuine one this time. "Thanks."

"Anything to stop your very loud heartbeat from distracting me," you joked, making Wylan laugh.

Kaz watched the interaction from the bar, his eyes unreadable as he turned back to his drink, finishing it before heading upstairs without another word.

3. Lies couldn't hide from you.

Kaz swung his cane, the crow handle finding its mark on the man's knee, hitting it with a sickening crack. He cried out in pain, keeling over but not going that far due to his hands chained to the ceiling.

The man was a spy placed in the Dregs. You found him when you were having a private heist meeting and heard his heart lingering out the front door.

So now, you were both trying to find out who hired the traitor — well, more like Kaz was beating him up for answers while you served as his lie detector.

"Who are you working for?" Kaz said, repeating the question he's been drilling into the man for the past hour. Despite the way he was pathetically sobbing, he still refused to give up the name of his boss.

Not out of loyalty, but out of fear, you thought, taking note of the way his heart beat at a pace only set by fear. Fear not only for what Kaz could and would do to him, but also fear for what would happen if he gave Kaz what he wanted.

"Olek!" He cried. Kaz, blood splattered on his black vest that was exposed from his decision to abandon his coat for mobility, turned to you expectantly.

You shook your head. "Lie."

Kaz swung his cane again without hesitation, this time bringing hitting the man's chest. The man's scream in pain was worse than before.

Kaz probably broke a few ribs, you thought offhandedly, only flinching in disgust when you felt some of the blood from the man's mouth hit your cheek. You wiped it off immediately.

"I was telling the truth!" He yelled, sobbing. "I was telling the truth!"

Kaz used his cane to tilt the man's head up by the chin, forcing him to meet Dirtyhands' cruel stare. He would receive no mercy, as there was nothing that could be given in the first place.

"My Heartrender said you lied, so you lied," Kaz said through gritted teeth. "If she keeps saying otherwise, you will die for this boss of yours. Are you willing to give your life for someone who could care less about it?"

When he received no response other than cries, Kaz prepared to hit with his cane again.

"Karlos!" The man screamed, pausing Kaz mid-swing. "Karlos Drulak!"

Kaz didn't turn to you before you spoke, your smile heard in your voice behind him. "There's our answer."

Your satisfaction was mutual, as Kaz's shoulders let go of some of its tension as he straightened — well, as much as he could without relying on his bloodied cane. "Finally." He readjusted his gloves and turned around, limping away, only stopping to speak to you.

"Send him to the grave."

Your smile widened into a grin, your teeth flashing in the lamplight. "With pleasure."

Kaz left you to your business, the screams of terror fading into the night as he went to the Slat to formulate a plan with the new information he'd just gained.

—————

Disadvantages

1. You didn't need your eyes to see him.

You always knew it was him.

Whether he would enter the Crow Club to find you drinking with Jesper, or he'd knock on your apartment door with an important matter in mind, or even just passing by him in a busy market despite the noise and the multiple heartbeats.

You always noticed him.

It bugged Kaz. He knew that no matter what other disguises he may put on, no matter whether or not he had his cane to tap on the tiles of the road or the wood of the Crow Club or the Slat, you always knew it was him.

He stood in front of your door, staring at the number in front of him. The plan for your heist the next day had undergone many changes, and he had to inform you of them.

He took a deep breath, raising his knuckles to knock.

"Come in, Kaz," you called, voice muffled from inside the apartment. It always happened when he popped by; he'd inhale, prepare to knock on the door, only for you to interrupt him and just tell him to go in.

He let out a quiet huff almost fondly. Of course she knew.

He opened the door, letting himself in. "You knew it was me." It was a question said as a statement. That's just how Kaz normally speaks when he's curious but wants to hide the fact that he's curious, but you could always tell the difference.

"Of course," you said, not looking up from your construction of your beverage. Your hands had eyes of their own, moving to the familiar spots of your condiments. "Your heartbeat."

"Everyone has their own, do they not?"

You laughed, meeting his jab with softness. "Yeah, they do, but none of them quite beat like yours."

Kaz's heart sped up a little at the words, and he knew that he couldn't hide it from you. Your knowing smirk just made him feel warmer.

2. You could always tell when he was distressed.

Kaz wasn' the only one who had access to unannounced appearances.

You made it a habit of appearing randomly in his office just like him visiting you in your apartment, but unlike Kaz, you sometimes came there just for his company, to just sit down on the spare chair in front of his desk and read or draw or whatever your mood makes you do. Neither of you say a word, but you could tell that he was also content with the arrangement.

You found Kaz seeming more distraught than usual, the normally steady beat of his heart thundering like a skittish horse that was cornered by unwanted oppressors.

Kaz didn't look up from his the papers on his desk when your signature knock reverberated in his space, or when you swung the door open to let yourself in.

"Is there something wrong?" You asked casually, approaching your seat and sinking into it. There was something oddly comforting about the hard wood resting on your back, like an anchor in an unknown sea.

Kaz tilted his head to look at you, eyebrows raised. "What makes you think there's something wrong."

You playfully waved your hand in Kaz's general area. "You gave off a distraught aura the moment I stepped into the room."

Kaz scoffed, making you smile. That was the closest thing you'd get to a laugh from him.

You let your playful persona slip as your face blanked, your white eyes staring at him seriously. "Kruge for your thoughts?"

Kaz studied you for a moment, before leaning back in his chair with a sigh. He ran a gloved hand through his slightly messy hair in frustration. "Per Haskell gave away one of two of our storage units for twelve thousand kruge."

Your eyebrows shot up in shock. "Just twelve thousand?"

"Exactly," Kaz huffed. "I'm trying to get it back, but the buyer's refusing. They haven't even moved in yet, and I already told them I can return the money they gave."

Kaz intertwined his fingers with each other, thinking deeply.

His dilemma also put your brain to work, shuffling through the possible solutions.

"Who bought it?" You asked.

"Karlos Drulak," Kaz said. The name sounded familiar to you.

You snapped your fingers, pointing to Kaz's left side. Kaz lifted his cane and moved your finger to point directly at him like you intended.

"Ah thank you," you said before continued. "He's the one who hired the other dude! The one who infiltrated the Dregs."

Kaz perked up slightly at the memory. How could that have slipped from his mind?

"Do you think that him buying our unit can be related to his unknown issue with us?" You wondered aloud.

"That's certainly a possibility," Kaz hummed.

You grinned. "See? Your heartbeat has already slowed."

You stood up, hefting the book you never opened in the office with you. "Well, I'll leave you to your thoughts. I'm sure you can figure it out on your own."

"Are you leaving me because you don't want to brainstorm?" Kaz rose an eyebrow in slight amusement as you made a beeline for the door, your feet having already memorized the layout of the room.

Your chin hooked on your shoulder to give him a view of your grin. "Too much of something is bad. Even thinking."

You gave him a lazy salute as you left, but as you closed the door, you could have sworn you heard a laugh escape the man's lips over the faster beating of his heart.

3. He couldn't lie to you.

Kaz's hearing was muffled from the sound of ringing in his ears. He forced his eyes to open, blinking hard to try and shake away whatever spell unconsciousness casted upon him.

He saw you crouching over him, eyes staring down at his chest, where you had a hand over. You must've revived him.

He felt panic thrum in his veins, his hands moving before he could stop them from slapping your palm away from him.

"Kaz!" Your voice was oddly muffled as he tried to stand up. His bad leg didn't cooperate with his wishes as he fell back down on the rough ground.

He looked back at you, and now you kept a respectable distance from him, your form framed by flame with worry creasing your forehead and pulling the corners of your lips downwards. He barely heard your next words: "Breathe!"

He forced his chest to comply, inhaling the smoky air and exhaling with a cough.

Two more of those, and you held out his cane for him to grab, slightly askew. He hesitated, but grabbed on it, letting you pull him to his feet using his cane. He was swaying on his feet, and you could tell from his slowing heartbeat that he was close to fainting from smoke inhalation.

"I know you don't like being touched, but you can't walk out of here without me helping!" You shouted. You felt pity pinch your chest at the ay Kaz’s heart sped up at that. You didn’t want to force him but you had no choice.

You didn't have time to wait for him to regain his bearings as part of the flaming roof collapsed mere feet away from you two. You flinched at the bang, but you didn't hesitate to sling his arm around your shoulders and drag him out of the room, snatching Kaz's cane and using it as your guide to the entrance right before you felt the flames lick the back of your coat.

Kaz furiously patted the small patch of flame on your back to extinguish it. He felt the water on his waist slowly rising, but he tried to push it down.

It was just you, his Heartrender. He'll be fine.

"C'mon, Jes is waiting for us at the rendezvous," you said, your voice strained from carrying most of Kaz's weight. He tried to walk on his own, to lessen your burden, but his body was too weak for it.

You left the building, Karlos Drulak's brand-new bar. Hey, at least the color of the fumes complimented the brown...?

Jesper caught you two and rushed forward to help, but you stopped him with a single shake of your head. It took a lot for Kaz to just let you keep him upright, what more if Jesper added to that?

You both hobbled as one to a safe distance before Kaz collapsed inside an alleyway. He took deep breaths, trying to fight the black roses of anxiety that bloomed in the corners of his vision.

"Kaz, look at me," you spoke, feeling his heart rate spike, but you weren't sure what you could do to help. "Kaz, what can I do?"

"Talk," He strained. "Distract me."

"Uh — okay, okay," your brain scrambled for some story to pull up, so it decided to bring you a memory from your childhood. "There was a time where I revived a dog of my old neighbor when I was seven years old," you said, your eyes trained on his chest like you can see his heart. "My parents were off to work, so they left me with the neighbor, and his heart just stopped beating. The neighbors didn't know what to do, but I just put a hand on him and willed his heart to beat again. He lived for seven more years after that before he peacefully passed."

"You should have let that dog die," Kaz gasped, but his breaths were slowly evening out. "I hate animals."

You smiled lightly. "Liar."

"How can you tell I'm lying? My heartbeat's already all over the place," Kaz huffed.

"I don't need my power to tell that you're lying," you said, shaking your head fondly. "I know you Kaz. In the years that we've worked together, I got to know you. I know you feed your scraps of food to the strays behind the Crow Club, which is why they keep coming back for more."

"Didn't know anyone noticed," Kaz said, his breaths more symmetrical as his vision cleared.

You laughed. "You really expected me to not notice?" Kaz saw how you hesitated, how your smile faltered before you continued with seriousness lacing your voice. "I always notice when it comes to you."

Kaz sighed, gently grabbing the cane from you and hauling himself to his feet. "Let's go to the Slat. Better make sure that the others know we're alive."

"Wow, you want to tell them you're alive so they don't get worried?" You cooed, walking a few feet beside him and syncing your steps with him. "Soft is a good look on you."

"Shut up, Heartrender," He grumbled, but a small smile broke through his face.

"Your Heartrender," you sang, skipping slightly knowing that he can't deny you from the sudden speed of his heart.

He shook his head, the smile still not leaving his face as you both walked.

His Heartrender indeed.

#kaz brekker #kaz brekker x reader #six of crows #six of crows x reader #shadow and bone #shadow and bone x reader #crooked kingdom #crooked kingdom x reader

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jccatstudios · 2 years ago

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SoC Comic Adaptation and General FAQ

General

Who are you?

Hi, I'm Claire (she/they)! I'm currently studying to become a professional comic creator. I love drawing fashion, expressive characters, and anti-hero action.

Where else can I find your work?

You can find all my work on my website! I'm also on Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr. You can find my fan art under the handle jccatstudios, and my original art under jcscottart (only on Instagram and Twitter).

How can I support your work?

Besides supporting my work through your lovely comments and reblogs, you can help monetarily support me on Ko-Fi. Your support helps fund my college education.

Six of Crows: A Comic Adaptation

Why are you doing this?

Ever since I read the duology, I always thought it would make a great graphic novel series. When my professor encouraged me to start a webcomic, I took the opportunity to make the comic I imagined into reality. I want to see the whole series illustrated through comics one day. If I got the chance to make the official adaptation, that would be one of my biggest dream projects. I'm also using this project as an opportunity to improve my skills before I graduate.

Will you post it on (insert webcomic platform)?

Probably not. Most online comic platforms are meant for scroll format, and I'm making a traditional format comic. Plus, I post on so many sites already, so I think adding another would take too much time out of actually creating the comic.

Will you draw the whole book/series?

I wish I could! Since I'm not doing this full-time or professionally, that's quite unlikely. It would take years to complete it full-time, who knows how long as a hobby. I'd love to add a six-volume SoC graphic novel series to my shelf, but that of course can't be done without some serious backing. I'm currently working on adapting Chapter 3.

Where's Chapter 1: Joost?

I never drew it! I started with Chapter 2: Inej because I wanted to draw the main characters first. The first chapter of the comic is the second chapter of the book. I name the comic chapters after the book chapters just to make it clear which part of the book they correspond to.

Can I repost your art, use your art for layouts/edits, etc?

Yes, you may with visible credit. If you use it for your profile layout, put my handle in your bio. If you're reposting it or using my art for edits/collages, put my handle in the description. As long as it's for personal use, you can use my art. Do not sell copies of my art, use it in merch, or use it for any sort of monetary gain. Do not use my art for prompting or generating images.

Can I use your character designs and headcanons in fanart, fanfic, etc?

Absolutely! Please tag me if you do. I don't need credit since I didn't create any of these characters, but I definitely want to see what you create. :D

How do you make the comic?

The comic is made with mostly traditional methods with some digital editing. I pencil and ink all of the pages on bristol board. I mainly use the G-pen nib for characters and technical pens for the backgrounds. Once I scan the pages, I do light adjustments to the line art and correct any mistakes. The gray tones come from a single sheet of ink wash adjusted to be lighter or darker. The bubbles and lettering are all digital.

If anything else comes up, I'll add it here! Feel free to send me an ask if you have a question that isn't on this post.

#faq #soc comic adaptation

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mellowyellow236 · 11 months ago

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Meeting 1 For the Manhwa AU!

This is one of the ideas I had as to how my Yuusona (Yuri) and the Yuu made by @twstfanblog in their Manhwa AU! I have a second idea that I need to finish and edit, but once they’re both out I’ll probably make a poll and whichever one wins will be the one I go with moving forward if I choose to make anything else within this AU. Enjoy!! :) (This was formatted in Google Docs, so it may look a bit odd on Tumblr)

______________________________________________________________

Yuri walked into the large estate, where the housemaid that collected them led her through the halls to a drawing room, where the older man waited. She rocked the child in her arms, Alyx stirring as she moved to curtsy to the Grand Duke.

“Good morning, Your Grace. Thank you for inviting me into your home.” Crewel nodded at that, giving her a light bow in return.

“Good morning to you as well. It is a pleasure to have you; I’ve heard many things from the other nobility about you and your son.” He said, gesturing to the baby in her hands, tufts of dark hair on his hair as he opened his brown eyes, a far cry from her or her late husband's appearance. Even so, she smiled.

“All good, I hope?”

“Of course, Lady Yuri.” He responded, smiling at her. “You are free to stay in the room with me as I do your son’s fitting, or you pay leave and allow your lady’s maid* to accompany him. I myself am a father, and the chance to relax with an infant is always a blessing.” He said the pleasant demeanor that was used with customers coming out. She nodded, smiling and handing over Alyx to the servant. After all, there was no reason to hang around if she was unneeded and her ‘son’ would be taken care of by someone better at caring for children, anyway.

“I’ll be on my way, then. I trust that you still have the designs that I sent to you to be edited the other day? I give you the final say on whatever you think is best for him. After all, ”

“Of course I do. Just return to get him before six.” He responded, as Yuri gave a final kiss on the cheek of her son, and a bow to Crewel before she left the room. That would give her two hours' worth of free time, maybe enough for a long nap in her carriage if she was able to get her coachman on board with it. Turning through the large corridors, attempting to find her way out of the beautiful trap that was the Crowley estate. Within the first few minutes, she was lost, not knowing the layout of the mansion that was most likely enchanted in some way. Or, at the very least, it was a bit too large for the front exit to be easily found from one of the many guest parlors**. Either way, she walked through winding hallways, gradually zoning around from the similar appearances of the various doors and columns, the only differences being the paintings she had long since found were only of dogs and crows.

At that moment, she bumped into a dark-haired woman, causing her to get pushed back. Between the expensive fabrics and dark hair, it was clear that this was Yuu, the only child of the Grand Duke. She curtsied low, as she was far above Yuri’s station as an Earless, an apology falling from her lips to smooth over any annoyance that could have been caused.

“I apologize, I wasn’t looking where I was going, Lady Yuu. I will be more careful next time.” The slightly older woman nodded and gave a slight bow in return.

“Very well, you may rise.” Yuri did as she asked, rising and meeting her eyes. She raised an eyebrow at the woman and narrowed her eyes, asking, “Who are you? You’re far from either of my father’s parlors.”

“I am Yuri from the Northern Earldom***. I came here today for my son’s fitting, but His Grace instructed me that I needn’t stay for the entire visit.” She answered, her voice calm and steady. Yuu seemed to accept this answer and nodded.

“Very well. Shall I show you to the door?”

“That would be much appreciated,” Yuri answered, allowing herself to be led by the other woman, staying a few steps behind her. They paused at a set of large doors, in which Yuri could only assume that the fabled library owned by Grand Duke Crowley resided.

“You can wait here for a moment. I need to get something.” She said, walking inside. Yuri stepped to the side, waiting for her to exit the doors. Alone for a moment, she yawned. Taking care of a newborn was tiring work even if she loved Alyx, and the lack of sleep was surely catching up to her. They would only close their eyes for a moment, just to rest them until Lady Yuu came back. She leaned against the wall, eyes closing softly. Just for a few moments…

______________________________________________________________

She sat up with a start, not recognizing the area that she was in. For a moment, she wondered what had happened, until she looked around and saw the lady in red reading across from her. She quickly stood up, smoothing over her dress and bowing as deeply as she could. Before she could speak, the seemingly bored woman said,

“It’s fine, I could carry you no problem. You’ve still got another half an hour before the appointment has to end, so you can keep resting.” She responded, looking up at her and closing her book. “You don’t talk or move or anything in your sleep, so it’s not a big deal to have you here while I read. You could do this at your son’s next fitting as well.” Yuri raised an eyebrow at that, and stood up straight, sensing something was off.

“Why would you suggest that? We have had no contact before today, and you have no incentive to befriend me just to let me sleep next to you for a random amount of time.” Yuu sighed, her book moving onto the table in front of her. There were on opposite settees with a table in the center, where a book and a tea set sat untouched. Yuu brought a teacup to her lips and took a sip before responding.

“If I tell you, will you agree to come here again?”

“That depends entirely on what you have to say.”

“I have multiple men attempting to woo me at the moment. Trying… Very often, in fact. By having a female friend I often have over, it might stop my suitors from trying during certain hours of the day.” Yuri sat back down, still a bit suspicious, but willing to hear her out the rest of the way. “You are clearly in need of some rest from taking care of an infant and your Earldom, and I’d like to have some peace and quiet for a couple of hours. It’s a situation in which everyone wins.” Yuri nodded, mulling it over.

“I have no problem with that. However, I can’t just use the Grand Duke as a free nanny, and I haven’t found one competent enough to be hired yet.” Yuu nodded at that, weighing options for the deal.

“I have a friend with a nephew that recently outgrew his nursemaid****. I’m sure that they can do good work, after all, they worked for the Sunset Savanna royal family.” She said, “If they can work for you, then you could reasonably stay with me for an hour or two every week to rest, without needing to worry about Alyx.”

“Yes, but if I have a nursemaid, I’ll have less work to do. By that logic, I’ll have no reason for such common visits.” Yuri countered, to which Yuu answered.

“I would have no reason to recommend you the nursemaid, then. Without their contact information and my urging, you would be unable to find them as they are still in the Sunset Savanna.” Yuri smiled at that and answered.

“Very well, that’s a good point. Do Saturday afternoons at tea time work for you? I can host this upcoming visit.” Yuu smiled back.

“Why yes, they do. I’ll give you the nursemaid’s information then. Need any help getting back to Papa’s parlor?”

“That would be greatly appreciated,” Yuri responded, standing at the same time Yuu did. Yuu walked out first, but they quickly followed, barely a step behind her. It seemed as though Yuri would have to prepare for a guest in the next few days, and maybe for a new friend in her life over the next few weeks.

-Fin-

*A ‘lady’s maid’ is the female equivalent of a valet or a noble’s personal servant. One could go with a noble lady to shop or go to a fitting as was done in this case.

**A parlor is where someone would host guests in the Victorian era. In the houses of the wealthy, there would often be more than one, with one for hosting guests and another for being with family. In this case, the fitting is taking place there, and both Crowley and Crewel have their own parlor to have their guests in.

***An Earldom is the land that an Earl owns and controls, like a dukedom or a kingdom.

****I’m referring to Cheka as he is 5-6 years old in canon, which is the age at which a child in the Victorian era would outgrow their nursemaid.

#manhwa au #twst yuu oc #twst disney #twst oc #yuusona #twisted wonderland manhwa au #twisted wonderland

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stromuprisahat · 10 months ago

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They drilled each other constantly on the architecture and procedures of the Court, the layout of the ringwall’s three gatehouses, each built around a courtyard. “First checkpoint?” “Four guards.” “Second checkpoint?” “Eight guards.” “Ringwall gates?” “Four when the gate is non-operational.” They were like a maddening chorus of crows, squawking in Matthias’ ear: Traitor, traitor, traitor.

Six of Crows- Chapter 19 (Leigh Bardugo)

#Grishaverse #SoC Chapter 19 #Matthias Helvar #The Crows #Six of Crows #Six of Crows duology #V #books #quotes #Leigh Bardugo #This is such a lovely detail.

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i-hold-horrors-hand · 10 months ago

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Whiskey A Go-Go Tarot Spread Analysis (Part 4)

(based on this post. shoutout to @forlorn-crows and @infernal-coffin).

This one resembles a Celtic Cross spread, but with 8 cards and a slightly different layout. It most closely resembles this New Year's Planning spread. So I will be reading it as such. Once again, it seems to be mainly about Papa Nihil and Sister Imperator's relationship. Though it also seems to be about Copia, as well.

Card #1 (top left): Six of Cups. This card is about relationships that span generations, nostalgia and memory, dreams becoming reality, and long-held desires finally realized. Its position in this spread signifies a major lesson learned from last year. To me, this means that Nihil and Imperator have learned that with age and maturity (on her part, anyway), they can become closer again, and their relationship can improve. As well, Imperator sees her son reach his zenith as Papa.

Card #2 (top middle): Seven of Cups. This card is about daydreaming, fantasy, potential, focusing on one thing, and difficulty choosing which thing that is. Its position in this spread signifies the biggest achievement of the previous year. To me, this means that the biggest achievement for Nihil and Imperator was making sure Copia and the Ghost project reached new heights, and that their own relationship with each other improved.

Card #3 (top right): Nine of Swords. This card is about nightmares, unfounded fears, and the fear of a situation being worse than the situation itself. Its position in this spread signifies what was let go of last year. To me, this means that both Nihil and Imperator let go of any lingering doubts and fears of their rekindled relationship, and that Nihil let go of (a few, anyway) doubts he had about Copia being a worthy successor.

Card #4 (bottom middle): The Hierophant. This card is about the desire for spiritual knowledge, the urge to understand one's higher nature, searching for the meaning of life, and finding one's greater purpose. Its position in this spread signifies what to expect in the coming year. To me, this means that both Nihil and Imperator will both search for a greater purpose for themselves, and to gain a better spiritual understanding of things. This may be relevant to Copia, as well (as seen in Rite Here Rite Now).

Card #5 (crossed over card 4): The Sun. This card is about joy, optimism, enthusiasm, good cheer and good health, clarity of purpose, positive action and thought, and clarity of vision. Its position in this spread signifies the current year's biggest challenge. To me, this means that Nihil and Imperator's biggest challenge will be remaining clear with regards to their visions for the future of the Ghurch, and that Copia's biggest challenge will be staying positive (as seen in Rite Here Rite Now, with his impending job change and Imperator's death).

Card #6 (bottom left): Six of Swords. This card is about harmony and balance, leaving strife and difficulty behind, moving toward a more peaceful time, and the calm after the storm. Its position in this spread signifies the theme for the current year. To me, this means that Nihil and Imperator's relationship will continue to improve as they grow closer again, and that they won't have to worry much about Copia and the Ghost project. As well, Copia may find that, after healing from Imperator's death and his own job change, he feels more balanced and less unsure.

Card #7 (bottom right): Ten of Cups, reversed. This card is usually about contentment and emotional fulfillment, and finding pleasure in simple and ordinary things...but it's reversed here, so it means a lack of contentment and emotional fulfillment, an unhappy home life, and dissatisfaction with ordinary life. Its position in this spread signifies this advice for the current year. To me, this means that Nihil and Imperator should focus on finding joy in the simple and ordinary, to be happy at home. This also could mean that Copia will need to be grateful for the simple and ordinary pleasures, too. They should all do this, to avoid unhappiness in their domestic lives.

Card #8 (very middle): The Lovers. This card is about love, commitment to one thing or one person, choice, and difficulty making that choice. Its position in this spread signifies the transition from the previous year to the current year. To me, this means that Nihil and Imperator have embraced their decision to rekindled their relationship due to their long-held love for each other, even if the relationship is fully romantic at this time. As well, they have chosen to support their son in his new position at the Ghurch, and his twin becoming the new Papa.

(Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 5)

#papa nihil #sister imperator #papa emeritus iv #papa emeritus 4 #the band ghost

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queenlovesbooks · 1 year ago

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Kaz brekker Twitter layout made by me please credit this page if you use. I am disabled and took a lot of time on this one and am actually very proud of it. And I love freddy Carter

#my edit #shadow and bone #my edits #grishaverse #stephanie garber #kaz brekker #twitter layout #Twitter layouts #Kaz brekker layouts #six of crows layouts

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maddiesflame · 1 year ago

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jenna coleman x six of crows layouts

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honourablejester · 6 months ago

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Ranking Doskvol’s Districts (Blades in the Dark)

Basically just, for my own amusement, going through the twelve districts of Duskwall in order of the least interesting to the most interesting to me personally. This is not remotely objective, this is a matter of my favourite tropes and personal interests. But. Why not? Let’s go through my least to most favourite districts.

Again, going from least interesting to most interesting:

12. Brightstone. Rich person central. Obviously Brightstone makes an excellent target district in a heist game, but it feels like it doesn’t have a lot of inherent interest in and of itself? There’s not a lot here besides, well, noble houses and luxury shops to rob. Couple of items of interest in the Skovlan war memorial (if your gang has Skovlander sympathies and wants a high profile target to deface), and then Bowmore Bridge itself, the only bridge link across to Whitecrown, a covered and inhabited bridge a-la London Bridge, and the largest bridge in the Empire. A gleaming white span representing all the wealth and power of the Empire, and the physical barrier to the ruling island of Whitecrown.

11. Charhollow. Going from one end of the wealth spectrum to the other, Charhollow is a working class residential district, and it feels just sort of wrong to operate there? It’s mostly just working people trying to stick together. I do like the street layout, all the twisting stone stairs and alleys, and there is some interest there with the brewing Skovlander revolution, but it’s not a place I’d want to run scores or draw heat down on.

10. Dunslough. Dunslough is honestly just depressing? It’s grim, between the prison and the labour camps and the ghetto and the quarry. But there are certain sorts of stories to be set here, and some of the tenser sorts of scores too. The Mire being a meteor impact site is also interesting, as is the strong presence of Deathlands scavengers.

9. Crow’s Foot. I feel a bit bad for not liking Crow’s Foot more, as its explicitly intended to be a good baseline district to operate in, and it’s clearly taking a lot of notes from The Barrel from Six of Crows, which is an excellent inspiration. I just. I’m not vibing with it? Not sure why. I do, however, really enjoy Tangletown, the floating shanty town and neutral ground built up around the hull of a sunken leviathan hunter in the river. Shades of Rivet City. Deeply approve of that.

8. Barrowcleft. On the surface, Barrowcleft isn’t really that interesting, and I’m not sure what’s pulling it higher than Dunslough or Charhollow for me, except that I just find the radiant farms really fascinating? Farming using the light of alchemically-bred glowing plants and animals. They’re the lifeblood of the city, so they’re heavily guarded, and I really just wanna steal a glowing plant. Though, granted, this is probably better done in Brightstone, as the nobles have gardens with radiant plants, and I’d feel better robbing them than the farms that feed the city. But. The image of the glowing fields is still a pull for me. Also, as smugglers are one of my favourite crew types, I feel like Barrow Bridge and the river fishermen around it, plus the proximity of the Old North Port, would make it a pretty decent base.

7. Whitecrown. Whitecrown should have all the same problems as Brightstone. It’s the centre of power, the home of the governor, it should just be another rich person central. Two things prevent this, and make Whitecrown significantly more interesting to me. One is North Hook Lighthouse, and the other is Doskvol Academy. The lighthouse is just … it’s a massive electro-plasmic navigation beacon whose light spans hundreds of miles, and I want to make a Cult crew and do something occult up there and bring the fucking leviathans down on Duskwall. I just. I really want that. And the leviathan hunter bloody training college beside it would also fit very neatly into that plot. Whitecrown Island, the Void Sea looming to the north beyond its lightning barriers, the massive beam of the North Hook Lighthouse sweeping its shores, is just such an image for me.

6. Nightmarket. Nightmarket and Silkshore are kind of neck-and-neck for me, having similar sorts of vibes. They’re the market districts, the commerce districts, with all the attendant shadiness attached. Nightmarket is richer and more … nouveau-riche respectable, attached as it is to Gaddoc rail station and the newfangled electro-rail connection out to the rest of the Empire. But. Gaddoc rail station is a fantastic draw all by its lonesome, the lure of the electro-rail itself, and then the looming deathlands out across the water. Nightmarket feels jangly and sort of cyberpunk. A great base for a Hawkers crew.

5. Silkshore. Silkshore, by contrast, is the older of the two, the red light district, with a slightly shabbier and more … dignified? Sort of vibe. It’s very Venice-meets-Montmartre, and give the proximity of Barrowcleft and the farms, it would not at all surprise me if there was a red windmill-themed brothel somewhere on Fogcrest hill. I just enjoy the canals-and-flophouses vibe it has. Again, great place for hawkers or smugglers, and I feel like canal-hauntings and interactions with the Gondoliers would be fun. (If you are noticing a theme, and that theme is boats and me preferring locations that are good for them … you are not incorrect).

4. Six Towers. A once-wealthy district gone to seed, old money turned to decay. Maybe it’s just the amount of Call of Cthulhu I’ve been watching (and my fondness for classic ghost stories), but Six Towers feels like such a good district to get in trouble trying to rob haunted houses in. The fact that the Lost District is just across the river absolutely doesn’t hurt either, and the little detail that Mistshore Park is where lovers go to commit suicide together is a nice cherry on top. If you want to get involved in the haunted end of the setting, Six Towers feels very much like the district to do it in. Also, a decaying mansion lair for your crew never went astray either.

3. Charterhall. Into my top three districts, and we’ll start with the seat of government (or at least civil service). And why, you ask, would that be in my top three? Well, aside from the fact that I actually have a fondness for paper-pusher type characters, Charterhall actually has a lot going on. Between the University as the base of the Sparkwrights, Bellweather Crematorium as one of the bases of the Spirit Wardens and the centre of death processing in the city, the Archive of Echoes as the base of the Path of Echoes, the artist colonies and the remnants of the first lightning barrier on the old walls, and the inherent heist-related draw of all the paperwork here, this is genuinely one of the most interesting districts to interact with. The little detail of the eldritch trees in Jayan Park that are alive and growing without daylight or radiant energy also doesn’t hurt at all. Heh. I wouldn’t necessarily base here, but as hunting grounds? Hell yeah.

2. Coalridge. If Six Towers is genteel urban decay, then Coalridge is rude, industrial urban decay, the original industrial heart of the city, centred around the coal mine, and it carries all the evidence of the cycle of industry. The coal mine waxed and waned in operation, the Old Rail Yard was once the industrial and cargo hub of the city until Gaddoc was built across the channel from it. Coalridge is a study in contrasts, the furious operation of the factories and the ship works vs the dwindling mine operations and the abandoned tracks and rusted rail cars of the greatly reduced operations in the old yard. Coalridge is a district of industrial horror and union agitators and hard men and women, the secrets of ship construction, the secrets of the old mines and the origins of Duskwall itself, as well as the lure of raised tracks and abandoned rail cars. I love it. Would totally base bravos or assassins here, or shadows. It’s less overtly haunted than other districts, but the mine is right there. And the tracks. Plenty of room for ghosts, or older, more eldritch things.

1. The Docks. Is anyone surprised? Probably not, especially given my kneejerk first instincts for character and crew creation. Honestly, though, the docks are almost always one of my favourite areas of any fictional city, and Duskwall doesn’t hurt itself in this department at all, what with the looming spectres of the massive leviathan hunter ships out in the channel, the raised streets teetering out over the underground docks and canals, the smugglers and sailors and tattoo artists and journalists knocking around. I absolutely adore the decision to put the printers lane, the home of the press, in the Docks, because it’s tattoo central and they both need ink. Spectacular. The Docks, as a district, just really feels like something out of a noir film? All newshawks and smugglers and fog and chiaroscuro. Also, a bit like something out of Sunless Sea, given Duskwall’s everything, the Void Sea, the leviathans, demon blood, and it’s all centred here. Where the sea and the city interact. No other district was going to be my favourite. It had to be here. Heh.

This is a great city, you know? I do enjoy a good haunted noir city by the sea.

#blades in the dark #doskvol #duskwall #worldbuilding #city districts #my favourites will not surprise anyone #but it's fun to read through the districts

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bitter-limelight · 2 years ago

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“I had this same one when I was little!” Crowed Daniel with excited delight as he picked up one of the tin horses lined up on top of a glass cabinet, alongside soldiers, carts, and canons. He smiled as he felt the little toy in his hand, remembering the shelf he kept his on, in front of a collage of western pictures he had cut out of magazines.

Marius beside him laughed gently, picking up a tiny soldier. “Very nice,” he appraised, setting it back down in exactly the same spot he had plucked it from. “Did you have this many?”

“Almost! My grandfather bought them for me when I was 6, the Christmas after they found me playing dress up in Mom's house coat, the one with the feathers? I guess they thought it would straighten me out if I had more soldiers and cowboys to play with. Obviously not very effective.”

Daniel looked around this space, in awe of how deep this store ran. Marius had taken him, an evening trip during one of their visits to New York. They had stayed the night before in a little cabin far away from the urban height of the city the night before, and were making an adventure of exploring this town now. As a mortal Daniel hadn't cared much for winter, but now as a vampire he loved it. It was dark by 5 pm, so they were awake in time to see movies, hunt among the crowds, pop into the smaller shops usually long closed by sundown in the summertime.

This one was an antique store, Marius said, but Daniel had marveled first at its size and layout. A three story split level style house has been converted into this space, further divided out into cubbies, corners and little books. Every inch of existing space was used to show wares, and even some space that didn't quite exist, with folding screens and paper barriers being used to create false walls. Here could be a corner showing dinnerware in stacks on buffet tops and carts, then right beside it racks of dresses and doilies. Just walking around was an adventure, and Daniel liked the music playing softly overhead, singing along quietly to a tinny version of Miracle out of Nowhere.

It was 1998, and Daniel was doing very, very good. That's what Marius said at least, on the regular, and it's what Daniel believed. He knew that sometimes he got lost, either for real or just in his own head, but not anymore. He was painting with Marius some nights in their home in Norway, beautiful if messy pieces with rich, touchable textures, all taught by Marius' hand. Sometimes too much by his hand, as Daniel would mutter about his critiques and go paint on something he shouldn't instead. But not here; he would behave here in a shop, and behave very well.

Hand in hand he and Marius walked, Daniel pulling him around a corner to see a Christmas display in a center booth, the highlight of which was a tree. A large, artificial tree bedecked in a mess of silver strand tinsel off each branch.

“Oh man, I remember that stuff. Mom hates it!” Said Daniel as he ran his fingertips over the thin strips, the sparkle of it attractive to him even if it was cheap. “We would fight over who got to put it on every year, and it kept falling all month. Mom said it was gonna ruin her sweeper but she bought more every year!” At his side, Marius listened, and Daniel liked that he listened. Curious after a moment though as he looked at the tree Daniel asked, “is it Christmas?”

“It's December 12th, 1998,” he answered, sounding very matter of fact as though he always had this information on the forefront of his mind, ready to speak. “So very near Christmas yes.”

Daniel thought on this, and frowned. “But we just hunted for shells on the beach,” he protested. “And lit a fire? At low tide?”

Marius' face was ever calm as he told Daniel, “that was in June, my love. Six months ago.”

Daniel didn't like this answer because eir made no sense. He wanted to call Marius a liar but that made even less sense; Marius was kind, and very honest with him. He's never caught him in a lie, and Daniel was quite good about detective deception. So he just sighed, and shrugged, and wandered. Past the Christmas displays he went, down the cluttered makeshift aisles, the floorboards old and freaking underneath his Converse sneakers. Parasols hung from the ceiling along with red lanterns, a folding table held a turn of the century Singer. Then a large cabinet caught his eye, a huge, handsome thing, made of oak, tall as he was. Each door was carved in thick, beautiful designs, inlaid with scrolling geometric metal.

“1922!” He whistled, looking over his shoulder to Marius. “Art nevouz! Isn't it beautiful?”

“It is,” his companion agreed, admiring the piece himself. “Excellent condition. This could be lovely in your room for holding your paints and extra parts, Daniel.”

Daniel was taken with the idea, having such a pretty antique for his things, the sort of thing he might have seen in his grandmother's house, but then Marius opened the doors to check the hinges, and Daniel found himself confused. Inside more items were kept, specifically a set of dishes, beige ones, rimmed in green, with orange, green and brown flowers set into the center.

“Oh…we had these,” he said with hesitation, picking up a small plate. “Only…” only these one's were worn in some spots, the glaze chipping away. Only these had some rougher edges, a hairline crack in one. But he remembered them new when his mother bought them, when he was in high school, and eating inunerable family dinners on them, awkward and stilted conversation. Hardly anything to have good memories about but it made him feel strange all the same.

“...why are these here?” He asked Marius, holding the plate up and looking to him with trust.

Marius let out a slow breath and took the plate, looking it over as though it would help him parse out an answer. “Because Daniel, they're over 30 years old now. That's vintage, more or less. Same with the vinyl records in boxes and the phonographs, same with the pillbox hats and pearls. People like things that are…I think the term they're using now is retro?”

“But this isn't retro!” Daniel protested. “This is just…this is just our stuff. We used this-”

“In the sixties, yes. And it's 1998 now, Daniel.” He handed the plate back to his young one, and Daniel knew he was meant to put it away, but he just held to it, then looked around, seeing all the items that Marius has mentioned. Record players and 8 tracks tapes alongside the housecoats his great aunt would wear, photographs in sepia and black and white, posters from Woodstock.

“...when did this happen?” Asked Daniel, and Marius wrapped his arm around his shoulders, finally easing the plate from his clutch.

“Sometime between now and then. Somewhere along the way they stopped speaking Latin, and then stopped knowing Rome as a place and knew it only as archeology. It happens slowly, slowly, and then all at once.” He kissed Daniels temple, and Daniel found himself leaning in to him, feeling wholly unsteady now. “But you, Daniel, you will never wear or fade or crack. You'll be vibrant and alive forever, now, with our blood. Do you understand?”

Daniel nodded, though he only understood a little. “If it's Christmas then I have presents to buy,” he said into Marius' shoulder, and he was glad Marius didn't press him to name who he could possibly need to buy for. He just let Daniel set the tone of their day, and followed his lead.

#de Romanus coven event #Saturnalia #solstice #Daniel Molloy #Marius de Romanus #the vampire chronicles

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