#the bastard of the barrel

[neptune-scythe]

Breaking my slience (again ... I've ranted about this at least twice already but I keep thinking of fun new ways to word it whoopsie)

When Inej says she'll have Kaz without armour, she's not saying she wants a physical relationship from him

She is asking him to trust her enough to know that he doesn't need to protect himself around her, that she'll never cross his boundaries, that if he took off his armour he would be safe with her.

Thank you for coming to my TedTalk

[bey0nd-1he-stars]

3rd Advent - Christmas shopping for the crows

Masterlists

Pairing: Kaz Brekker x reader

Word count: 1011

Warnings: Mentioning of weapons

Summary: You go Christmas shopping for the crows with Kaz and then enjoy an afternoon at the slat.

“Which one do you think Inej would like more?” You pointed at two different beautifully crafted daggers. They were delicate and elegant, and both of them had carved handles, but one of them had roses carved into the blade. Kaz took a look at the daggers before pointing swiftly to the second one and you smiled as you handed the money to the woman selling them. She carefully wrapped it up in some paper before handing it to you, bidding you goodbye and wishing you a wonderful holiday.

Ketterdam was in a strangely good mood now when christmas was coming and you had been pulled into the christmas spirit as well. You’d even convinced Kaz to let you buy presents for the crows, as long as you didn’t buy anything for him. You planned on doing that anyway.

Kaz mumbled something about checking out the stand that was selling bottles of chemicals and stuff to see if he could find whatever Wylan had asked you two to get while you were out. You just nodded and decided quietly that this was your chance to find something for Kaz. As he stalked away you turned around to see that the different stands were selling and you found one that was selling beautifully handcrafted jewelry. You approached the man with a smile.

“Hello there! You don’t happen to make custom pieces, do you?” you kindly asked and the man nodded at you in return.

“Indeed I do. For the right price, that is.” You nodded understandingly and pulled out a stack of kruge.

“This is 500, will that be enough to make me a pendant?” you spoke quietly in case Kaz came back earlier than you’d expected. The man shrugged, “it depends on the design.”

“I want something discreet. A backwards ‘K’ and an ‘R’ that is put together,” you tried to explain and the man pulled out a pen and paper and began sketching something to get a hum on the design. You nodded in appreciation when he showed you the finished design after the two of you had gone back and forth a bit. He put away the sketch and you noticed how he didn’t need to touch the metal box he put them in to close the lid. You carefully leaned forward and spoke up quietly.

“Could you be able to make it stay warm at all times? Like body temperature or a bit hotter?” You glanced down at the metal box and he widened his eyes, understanding that you’d seen his slip-up. He nodded, “I’ll have it done in a week and delivered to the crowclub, I presume?” he said and eyed something behind you. Kaz was back.

“Thank you so much!” You smiled and he gave you a nod. As you turned around you were met with Kaz handing you a bag with Wylans stuff in it and you took it from his hand with a nod. Snow was still falling and you let your gaze linger on the powdered snow that fell in Kaz’ hair when he took off his hat to free it from the snow that had gathered upon it. He caught your lingering gaze and raised an eyebrow at you but let a smirk pull at his lips anyway.

“Time to head back?” He wondered and you nodded. He began leading you through the market and then eventually down the streets of Ketterdam, back towards the slat. You were walking close enough to feel each other's presence but not close enough to touch. Kaz appreciated you for not pushing his boundaries but still staying close enough as comfortable.

When you reached the slat, Kaz pulled the door open for you and held it open. You stepped inside and was met with a sight you never thought you’d see. The whole slat was covered in Christmas decorations.

Tinsel was wrapped around the bar, someone (probably Jesper) had brought in a Christmas tree and decorated it with tinsel, baubles and lights. On top sat a crow decoration. Someone had strung up fairy lights in the ceiling and tinsel was wrapped around the banister. You saw Kaz roll his eyes at the mess made but a small smile and the fact that he didn’t say anything about removing it made you smile wide.

“What have happened here?” He mumbled but smiled slightly at your reaction. You turned to him with glimmering eyes and a wide smile.

“Jesper probably.” He laughed discreetly at that and nodded, “yeah, probably.”

You’d almost forgotten the presents in your hands and hurried over to the tree to put them there until Christmas Day. Please with today's effort you headed over to the bar for a glass. Kaz joined you not soon after and Wylan and Jesper came bouncing down the stairs and gave you a walkthrough on the decorating. Warmth filled your heart for the people you shared this home with and you couldn’t stop smiling the whole evening.

Nina and Matthias made everyone some food and Inej set a table for the 7 of you. Wylan put on some music, although Christmas music was a step too far and you had to settle for some classical instead. You lit some candles and Kaz and Jesper made everyone a drink. It filled you with love for the found family you’d been so lucky to have gotten and you swore that day to do everything you could to assure their happiness. Especially during Christmas.

———

@hotmoms4life

[perfecteggpartyland]

I really need to talk about this I've noticed by posts and conversations I've had over the years that a lot more people undermine and dismiss kazs trauma and solely think of him as an asshole,; along with inej but mostly I've noticed it regarding kaz; like how unlike inej who was constantly assaulted ;which literally makes me want to kill someone that her trauma is way worse; that is not what this series and characters were created for; no one's trauma is so much worse than others; some people seriously think kaz as a cruel asshole ; which he has flaws but ignore his good qualities ; and why he is way he is. He was 9;and I repeat 9 year old who was betrayed ; thrown in the streets; was starved; sick and malnourished to the point that he literally couldn't do more than whisper and a 9 year old was not only thrown into a pile of rotten sick Stinky pox filled corpses but also was Forced to use his brother; the only loved one he has left as a freaking float to survive ; cling to his beloved brothers sick corpse as a 9 year old; I'm in way saying that he has no flaws he does but dismissing his trauma is both cruel and wrong. Everyone ; in our beloved crows have flaws; and kaz not wanting to express his emotions and is emotionally closed off doesn't give anyone the right to just soley dismiss him when he said he would also try. Also him being portreid as a cowerd and terrible for his touch averseness in fics and This whole comparing trauma thing and dismissing kaz which I've seen to often always pissed me off.

[siredtodeadgaywizards]

Inej: Why crows, Kaz? You could’ve chosen a new symbol, built a new myth.

Kaz: Caw caw motherfuckers

[the-witch-of-woods-beyond]

somedays i just sit there and remember that kaz would have been an emo teenage boy from a farm in the first year of college if he was in the modern world.

[cawcawbeech]

I somehow managed to The-Bastard-of-the-Barrel-ize your Perry the Platypus... Dont ask why the latter two exist, you dont want to know.

[lpa6zn]

"the most gorgeous blue eyes"😭❤️❤️❤️❤️

I only had more than 500 heart attacks in less than a minute, but don't worry about me, I'm fine.

[terrywho-cartoons]

1 sketch, 1 artist, 2 art styles

Kaz Brekker edition

[ruins-and-rewritez]

"The Bastard of the Barrel" Kaz's song, in my dream musical, would be eerily similar to Scrooge's introductory song in The Muppet Christmas Carol. As in its literally the ensemble singing about how scary and relentless he is with a killer beat to bop to in the background

[inkymaws]

[lissa-edem]

Kaz, furiously: why the hell do I always say «yes»!?

Jesper: deep-deep in your cold, dark heart you love us. and we really need your evil brains right now.

Zoya: we?!

Nikolai: Zoya, my love, we're in the same boat.

Helnick and Wylan: can someone explain the plan, please?

Kaz: can you all shut up and let me make the fucking plan!?

Inej, as the only calm person: I've got coffee and waffles. you - eat. Kaz - stop yelling.

Others, even Zoya: fine.

Kaz: thank you, Inej.

[neptune-scythe]

The thing I love and appreciate so much about Kanej is that they are an example of the deeper more nuanced aspects of a relationship that is so often overlooked in modern media.

It's Kaz loving Inej's laugh, it's Inej paying such close attention to Kaz that she can tell when he passed out just from the change in his breathing, it's Kaz emptying his life savings to buy Inej her freedom, it's Inej about to kill all the Dregs just to save Kaz, it's Kaz buying Inej a ship so she can have her dream of hunting slavers even though that means they'll be separated, it's Inej accepting who Kaz is and acknowledging that even if she didn't always agree with his methods that the Barrel needs him just as he is.

It's how well they know each other, that their relationship is based on friendship and mutual understanding, it's the little things like Kaz seeing Inej and feeling like a little boy who believes in magic again.

It's so much more than the typical modern portrayal of love that requires touching or sex to telegraph what two people feel about each other. They never need to hug or kiss or hold hands for us the readers to know how they feel because Leigh put the effort into portraying the beauty and depth of real love that modern media so often doesn't bother to attempt.

Regardless even of the fact that I, and many other aroacespec people, feel represented by Kaz, Inej, and their relationship, their relation and interactions with each other shows the aspects of love and friendship that is so rare in modern medias. And especially for younger generations growing up with TV and books, seeing love portrayed as sex or physical attraction can be very misleading and leave them confused when those things don't give the satisfaction in real life that it is given in media. But Kanej is the balance of that, they are real love, portrayed in the ways that show what real love is.

Young boys and girls and non binaries and every other gender or type of person can read these books or watch the show and see what real love is. They can see they don't have to sell their bodies or give up their boundaries to satisfy another person and that none of that would guarantee being loved, that love is so much more than just physical attraction, that being known and valued for who you are as a person in the current moment is the most important thing.

I want to make this another TedTalk about why I take issue with Kanej being portrayed in fanfics and fanarts as touchy or needing that to show they've healed or that their relationship is valid, but I'll keep this one focused on the positives so I don't get all the aphobes and haters clogging up my notifs ◉⁠‿⁠◉

[toilandtroubled]

— 𝐤𝐚𝐳 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐤𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐮𝐞 𝐥𝐮𝐥𝐢

[georgies-ftts]

Kaz naming the Emerald Palace ‘The Silver Six’ like some kind of Crow fan club is peak proud dad behaviour coming from the man who refuses to admit he’s ever felt a feeling other than rage

[the-witch-of-woods-beyond]

“My mother is Ketterdam. She birthed me in the harbour. And my father is profit. I honour him daily.”

- kaz brekker, the bastard of the barrel: crooked kingdom, ch. 17

[cawcawbeech]

If you dont agree with me when I say that this is literally a photo of Kaz Brekker in the flesh, youre wrong. Its as simple as that. YOUR BABYGIRL IS A RAT.