#the crow club is literally his life

[agent-tempest]

We are all fools. When our closed friend the person you love is in trouble you do foolish things

[reve-writes]

—dense; kaz brekker.

ʚ kaz brekker x reader | grishaverse | 2,2k words. ʚ you're a bit clueless as to why the dirtyhands do the things he does, like call you schatje and pay you to steal something when he clearly doesn't need to. ʚ fluff. ʚ a/n maybe ooc kaz im sorry. more at the end!

Ketterdam is a marvel from afar, a pretty little flower offering promises of its nectar—new life, new opportunities, debauchery—only to catch you in its trap and swallow you whole. All the way up on the clock tower, roughly centralised in the port city, the Barrel is nothing more than bright lights emanating from bar signs and glittering roofs.

The bell rings, reveberating to signal the change of the hour. It's time to work, finally.

Your boots thump as you make your way down the spiraling concrete staircase, paying attention not to step on the chunks flaking off of the edge. Whoever was responsible for building this was clearly cutting cost, the concrete is about as fragile as clay.

A painting. It is an annoying job to do on your own, but your contractor offered a lot of Kruge for it—perhaps too much, but if Mr. Kikkert is willing to scrape his pockets for it, then you're more than happy to accept. It is more Kruge than you would ever need for a while, so you won't have to scrounge for scraps in this Ghezen-forsaken town. Moreover, it's been a while since your last job and you're frankly not doing too well.

You step lightly over the rooftops, hopping from building-to-building with sure, steady steps. You have done this for most of your lives, to avoid being stomped into the vile muck at the bottom of the Barrel, you learned to hide near the skies.

Where the painting is being kept isn't far from the Canal, just on the rows of overpriced apartments for rent. You were told that it was housed on the third floor of the corner building. Everything is going well. Your journey is uninterrupted and the stadwatch aren't on alert.

Until you spot him.

The familiar curve of his black hat. The high collar of his coat. The shining leather of his gloves.

Brekker.

You strut towards him as if you are neighbours crossing paths on your evening walks. When in truth, his Crow Club is on the other side of the town and you never come to this area without reason. You call his name sweetly. His head whips around immediately, finding you in the dwindling foot traffic of the street.

He says your name in a warning tone, suspicious of your being here.

“What? Can't I come and see an old friend?”

Brekker scoffs. “I don't know. Can you, schatje?”

You almost turn around and leave when you hear the term of endearment. He knows it gets under your skin—it always does. Your heart skips a beat or two and your train of thoughts gets interrupted whenever he calls you that. He means it as a jeering nudge and your head is wholly aware of that. Your heart, though. What a fickle little thing.

“A bit of a walk from the club, isn't it?” you say, falling into step next to him as he turns the corner towards the apartment building. “I assume you must be up to something.”

“Ah, but I'm always up to something.”

“I can't say I disagree,” you snort. “You don't happen to have a job around the area, do you?”

He halts, his cane knocking against the stone pathing. He turns to look at you and your elbows brush against each other. “Do you need anything? I have important matters to attend to.”

You bring a hand to your chest exaggeratedly, feigning a frown. “How callous. Call me schatje and throw me aside. Is this how you treat everyone, Kaz?”

“Only you, mijn schatje.”

You roll your eyes, unsure how to behave. Huffing, you say, “Stop calling me that.”

“I was under the impression that you liked the nickname.”

Oh, you do.

“I'll be going now. I've something to do. Stay off my job,” you warn. “You still owe me literal crown jewels from last time.”

Kaz's neutral expression shifts into fond nostalgia as he recalls the incident you're referring to. The crown jewels in question were under dispute by a pair of soon-to-be divorcees. One of them hired the Crows' help. The other called on you. One thing led to another and the item ended up in Kaz's hands and you went home empty-handed.

“I won that fair and square,” Kaz retorts. “Your current job wouldn't involve a certain painting, would it?”

Judging by his smug thin smile, you know that he knows.

“Tell me it isn't what you're here for.” You sigh exasperatedly. “Stay off of it, Brekker. I can't afford to lose another job.”

You think to be threatening, bluff your way out and tell him you'll tear down his Crow Club if he gets in your way, but you doubt it will work against the Dirtyhands. After all, you're one person and he has the whole Dregs behind him.

He looks at you with a raised eyebrow for a moment and for that terrible moment, you think that he may be there for the same reason you are, but he shakes his head lightly. “Fortunately, schatje, no. Stop looking as if you're going to murder me in my sleep.”

An involuntary smile blooms. “I wouldn't dream of it, Kaz.”

“Go on, then,” he says. “Be careful.”

You bite the insides of your cheeks to keep from smiling. “You too.”

With that, you part ways with Dirtyhands, entering the building. Your acquisition of the painting goes smoothly and the deal is closed swiftly a few hours later. It's too easy. You know it is. You're missing something.

Miss something, you did.

You push open the door to the Crow Club carelessly. The loud chatter mixed with atmospheric radio surges to meet you as you push your way past sweat-slicked bodies and drunken patrons. Your eyes dart back-and-forth, trying to spot the familiar curve of his black hat or the shiny glow of the head of his cane.

Jesper spots you from one of the open gambling tables.

“If it isn't my favourite thief,” he says, inclining his glass towards you. “Fancy a game?”

It isn't until you stop by his table that he sees the downward slope of your frown and the sharp glare you're giving. He instinctively sits up straighter, taking his shoes off of the corner of the table.

“Where's Brekker?” You ask, to-the-point, without indulging in your usual chit-chat whenever you visit.

The other three patrons on the table freeze—sensing the tension on your shoulders, too. They look between you and jesper, both confused and intrigued to know more. What is Ketterdam if it doesn't have rumours and secrets whispered about?

Jesper's brow furrow. “Are you okay? What's going on?”

To Jesper's knowledge, you and Kaz are on friendly terms, despite the frequent bickering. Hell, he assumes you're more-than-friendly, with the way Kaz gives you a nickname—an endearment, to be specific. Is it possible that you're going through a lover's spat?

“Brekker, Jesper. Where is he?”

A familiar rasp cuts through the rowdiness. “Here.”

Your head whirls around and you shoot an accusatory stare at the source of the voice. You stomp your boots as you make your way towards him. As you pass by him, you tug on the sleeves of his coat.

“We need to talk.”

“Hold on, schatje,” he says, still trailing after you. His cane knocks against the hardwood of the floor. “About what?”

You make your way up the stairs, to the second floor and swing the door to his office open as if it belongs to you. He has an eyebrow raised when he enters after you, closing the door behind him. He leans back against it, waiting for you to speak whatever it is that's on your mind.

“Kikkert,” you snarl. “You paid him to pay me.”

“That's quite a conclusion. How did you come to it?” His voice is level, not betraying whether or not you've spoken the truth.

You're pacing in front of him. “He says, and I quote, ‘If you're so close to Brekker, why doesn't he ask you himself to do this?'”

His eyes furrow and he runs a hand through his combed hair. He sighs, holding a hand up in a you-caught-me gesture. “Kikkert clearly has no idea what discretion means.”

You glare at him. “Do you think this is funny?”

He seems taken aback. “I don't see why this is a big deal, schatje. It's a job. You're paid. I get the painting. What's wrong with it?”

“Why are you doing this, then? Pay me for something you clearly are able to do yourself? Hell, whose painting was it? Was it yours? Did you pay me to steal from you?”

He doesn't reply, but the way he shifts his gaze away from you let's you know. It's as clear as a verbal admission.

“It was yours. That's why you were there. From your safehouse, wasn't it?” You stare at him in disbelief. “Is this amusing to you? I'm sorry if I don't quite see it as such.”

“Schatje—”

“I told you to stop calling me that.”

You can't wrap your head around Kaz Brekker's thinking process. He pays someone to pay you to steal a painting he already owns. What's his plan in the long run? To embarrass you? Hurt your pride? Is this some sort of ploy to rope you to be indebted to him?

He sighes. “You were struggling. I only wanted to help.”

“Dirtyhands doesn't help people. You don't run gangs the way you do charities,” you retort.

Is that all you see him as? The demjin? The one who's willing to stain his hands for the right price? Is there no other version of him in your eyes?

“You're forgetting the man behind the monster here,” he says softly.

“Am I?” You approach him, leaving a little over two steps in-between the two of you. “Who exactly is the man behind Dirtyhands then?”

He pushes himself off of the door, taking one step forward. The thump of his cane practically echoes in the room. The hustle bustle of the Crow Club is nothing more than a muffled sound. There's a sudden tension in the air—the same one that hangs over you whenever he calls you his schatje, but this one is heavier due to your lack of light-hearted banter to parry.

“Do you really not know?” he asks, as if the question is staring at you in the face. As if it's the most obvious thing in all of Kerch. His stare is heavy, dark irises acting like magnets that pull you in. He scoffs, “You really are dense.”

“Well, enlighten me, Brekker! None of this is making a lot of sense to me.” You let out a frustrated huff of breath. Your hands move wildly to stress your points. “You know what? Whatever it is, I don't want to know. Just — quit doing it. I'll never take another job from Kikkert. I'll stay away from your damned club and all your friends. I'll stay away from you. I'm a capable enough thief without your pity, Brekker. I don't need it. You can shove it up your—”

His gloved hand wraps around your wrist as it's flailing in the air. Your speech immediately comes to a halt and your eyes widen.

“You are impossible,” he says.

You snort. “And you aren't?”

“At the moment, no,” he retorts.

His stare is intense. It isn't until then that you realise you've taken a step forward during your rant, decreasing the perfectly amicable distance and turning it into a heart-thundering one.

“It wasn't pity,” he says. “You're capable, I have never doubted that, but even the most capable ones struggle sometimes. My intention is to help. Trust me on this. I know you're too prideful to accept any, so I paid Kikkert.”

“But why? Why bother?”

“Why?” He blinks, sighing loudly before continuing. “Why? Have you ever stopped and thought, for a moment, that I've been calling you schatje. Do you think that was out of pity?”

You bite the insides of your cheek and shake your head. “It was something else.”

“Has it ever crossed your mind that it's because —ghezen forbid— I may actually harbour fondness for you?”

You blink once, twice. Kaz thinks he much prefers breaking into the ice court than having this conversation right now. His hand trembles when he brings them to brush your cheekbone lightly. He lets out a relieved sigh when you don't pull back. Your hand wraps over his gloved one, the leather cold on your skin. You lean into the touch.

“I thought it was one-sided,” you say finally. “I'm quite fond of you, too, you know.”

“You do a horrible job of showing it.”

“Says you,” you argue. “Just—don't do it again. Let me handle my own problems, Kaz. I'll let you know if I need your help.”

He hums in agreement. “You'll let me know.”

“I will.”

The two of you jump apart abruptly when there's a loud knock.

“Boss?” Jesper's voice sounds muffled through the door. “Everything okay? I hope ___ hasn't murdered you yet.”

“I haven't,” you answer, half-chuckling. Turning to look at Kaz, you say, “It's funny how he doesn't assume you'll murder me instead.”

Kaz shrugs. “He knows I can't.”

You raise an eyebrow. “Can't or won't?”

“Both,” he answers. “Can we not talk about murdering each other after what just happened?”

Heat rushes to your cheeks. What just happened is you practically professing your little (well, maybe not-so-little) crush on him.

“So, is Kaz okay?” Jesper shouts again.

“Fine,” Kaz answers. “You can go back to your table.”

[ ]

i wanted to write something cute. schatje is taken from google and inspired from a kaz fic i read that used 'schatz' as a nickname. the plot is slightly ehhh? because it didn't really end the way i intended it to and i didn't proofread (when have i ever?). i was hoping to turn it into a two or three part series, but this is what we've ended up with & im quite happy with it. thank you for reading!

[whorety-k]

Ebony Coasts [Part 6]

I'm sorry this took so long!! Between my busy life and wanting a quick change up so I could practice to make this chapter better, I definitely took my sweet time on this chapter. It's another long one but it was genuinely fun and I hope you all think the same. Thank you for your patience!!!

Pairing: Merfolk!Corvus Corax x fem!Marine Conservationist!Reader (second person POV)

Song recommendation: Witchcraft - Graveyard Club “It’s midnight on Main Street / and this town’s all asleep / But you’re still here with me / and I know that / Darling your love's like witchcraft.”

Warnings: Ocean mentions / potential thalassophobia, culture shock and misunderstanding between species, food, using the word chips instead of crisps because author is American, fluff

Word Count: 4.5k I AM SO SORRY

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 7 (NSFW)]

Waking up three hours later, sticky and crusted with salt was a lot less comfortable than the dreamy atmosphere you had drifted off to sleep in. Corvus was reluctant to let you leave to go home and change, but he recognized that there was no feasible way for you to clean yourself up while you were in his den; the salt water would have wedged sand into more unsavory places. You promised him it would only be thirty minutes to an hour before you would return and, after explaining what an hour was, he relinquished his protests and encouraged you to be safe. You leaned up on your tip-toes for a kiss goodbye, which the mer bashfully gave. 

The soothing stream of warm water coursing down your back makes you wonder just how difficult it would be to install a shower within Corvus’s cavern, before kicking yourself for the thought of modernizing any part of the beach that you’re technically supposed to be protecting. The thought of being able to live more readily with Corvus has your brain misbehaving. You hop out of the shower and towel off, changing into a significantly-less-saline outfit than you had been in previously. 

Before leaving your apartment, your eyes stray to the dusty picnic basket beneath your desk. For years, the woven wicker has sat unused and taunting you, waiting for its opportunity to see the light of day. The lack of luck in relationships previously had halted any usage of the item, but perhaps today was the day it finally saw usage. You grab the basket. 

But what to bring on a picnic with a literal merman? What does a giant fish-person like? You realize you have no idea where to start with him, so when you stop by your pantry you toss two random junk foods inside. Oreos and potato chips. Perfect. It still doesn’t feel like enough though, and you quickly check the time. You still have another fifteen or so minutes to make it back to the coast before Corvus should start to worry. On a whim, you toss the picnic basket on the passenger seat of your car and speed over to the only grocery store between your apartment and the coast.

You’re just as clueless and indecisive as you were at home, but now you were clueless and indecisive with options. The lady behind the meat counter gives you an uncertain look the longer you stare at the identical cuts of salmon. 

“If you’re struggling, the Alaskan wild-caught is a better–”

“-Thank you!” You don’t even let her finish before you’re throwing three filets into the shopping cart then speeding off, completely missing the stunned look she throws your way. You barely make sure to wrap them enough to hide the fishy smell.

In the checkout lane, you give in to the crow brain and grab a random rainbow bag of sour candy from the hanging, as well as a pack of four chocolate strawberries from a vendor outside of the store. Are mermen able to eat chocolate? Is it like a dog and cat scenario? You’ve never tried giving a chocolate bar to a fish. Wasn’t there someone who fed their fish Kitkats and it survived? Well, if he can’t have it, it’s just more for you. 

You slam the door to the Bronco and gun it for the beach when you arrive. With the picnic basket and a large blanket in hand, it’s not particularly feasible to make it down the cliff face, so you take the long way around. It’s only just been an hour, so hopefully–

A milk white limb wraps around your midsection and lifts you from the ground, causing you to drop your freight in the commotion. Corvus holds you like a kitten, a look of concern plain in his voidish eyes as he intently studies your body.

“You are not injured? It has been greater than an hour. Has something occurred?” He inquires, gently lifting and turning you as he looks you over.

You shake off the shock of being startled, simultaneously chuckling at the doting behavior and irritated with having been snuck up on again. “I’m fine,” you say, prompting the anxious mer to stop twisting you from side to side. Corvus relaxes and lowers you gently back to the sand. Once back on solid ground, you look down at your watch. An involuntary sigh leaves your lungs.

“Corvus.”

“Yes?”

“It has been an hour and three minutes.”

“Yes.”

“This? Over three minutes?” 

The merman nods his head, that stoic expression never once faltering. “I worried for your well being.”

Realizing that pressing the matter will get you nowhere, you decide to find the action endearing. When you step to the side to pick up your fallen items, Corvus quickly beats you to it, relinquishing you of the blanket and grabbing the picnic basket before you even have the chance to turn around. It looks comically small in his large hands, cupped like a ball. 

“Are we returning to the den?” Corvus asks, readying himself to head that direction. He slides past you, shielding you from the focused rays of the looming sunset. 

“That depends,” you start, placing a hand on one of his ebony side fins. The giant stops, twitching from the contact. “How do you feel about trying some human foods?”

Corvus stops, glancing down at you before his attention turns to the basket in his hand. He lifts it to his nose and sniffs at it, and you resist cooing at how cute his ear fins look when they subtly perk up. “I am not opposed to it, however…” His head turns to the horizon, looking out over the waves. 

The setting sun casts the sky in a brilliant red, leftover clouds from the earlier storm reflecting the light in a kaleidoscope of pinks, oranges, and yellows. The charcoal rocks of the cliffside bleed into sandstone, cast coral in the dying glow. Lava flows of sand quench in the dusky ocean waves.

“It’s perfect,” you interrupt, grabbing the blanket from his clawed hand. Corvus turns back as you march to the embankment and set up the massive blanket. He watches happily (for someone so usually reserved) as you buzz around like a bee, trying your hardest to get it flat on the sand. Mercifully, the giant holds a corner steady to help you lay out the swath of cloth. When you come back for the picnic basket, he already has it lowered to your level for easy access. 

“Get on,” you say, patting the blanket and folding your arms to wait. Corvus spares you a final glance before he carefully slides his way onto the cover, the translucent black fins of his magnificent tail reflecting the threads beneath them. He rests his back against a smooth face of the cliffside and hums his contentment. Enthusiasm at the mer’s comfort thrums through your veins.

Unfortunately, the blanket that’s normally so large on you is nothing compared to the large fins of the black mer. There’s no room for you to sit with him, so you start to kick a clearing beside him for you to sit beside him instead. “I didn’t have a blanket larger than this, so–” 

“Would you like to sit on my tail?” Corvus extends a hand towards you, offering you a way to climb up onto him. He adjusts to create a flatter surface.

The marine biologist in you screams ‘I thought you would never offer!’, but the polite person in you wins and instead asks, “Are you sure?” Corvus bows his head and calmly helps you clamber up onto his tail, holding the picnic basket in one hand as he steadies you with the other. He’s cautious to set you low on his lap, below the fins that adorn his waist. You resist touching them, lest you get (literally or figuratively) thrown off of the tail you were just allowed to sit on.

You reach for the picnic basket and Corvus places it before you, allowing you to trifle through it. Strategically, you keep the salmon hidden in the cold compartment at the bottom beneath some ice, drawing out the bag of oreos. A gentle hand rests upon your thigh as the mer watches.

“So these are called Oreos,” you explain, holding one up for Corvus to see, “They’re sandwich cookies with cream in the center.”

Corvus nods as if he understands and scents the item, before opening his mouth to take it. He wants you to feed him you realize, and you carefully place the cookie on his tongue, avoiding his sharp teeth. The cookie is gone with a few crunches. You use the moment to take an oreo for yourself: sweet filling and crunchy cocoa, just as you remember. 

The mer isn’t as receptive, nose minutely scrunching as he swallows. You laugh at the face he makes. “Are all humans so fond of sweetened chemicals?” Corvus asks, clearing his throat. 

“Some. Not everyone’s a fan,” you reply.

Corvus nods, thinking for a moment. The dwindling light of the dusk has come to a near end, pale moonlight glittering over his visage as his head bows near to yours. Eventually, the mer comes to a conclusion, “The ‘cookie’ half was fine, but I did not enjoy the filling.”

“You’d be surprised how many people agree with you on that,” you note, lean forward to place a kiss on his cheek—

Corvus places a hand over your mouth as he abruptly perks up, stilling completely. His head snaps to the side, eyes glaring in one direction: the rocks in the shallows. You feel the brush of soft flesh before his tail completely blocks your view.

“Is everything okay?” you whisper into his hand, trying to lean around it.

He doesn’t let you. “We are being watched,” Corvus deadpans, eyes fixed on the same invisible spot in the distance. He doesn’t comment further, but his hand moves to your back to curl around you protectively.

The lack of reaction from Corvus and the uncertainty of the situation sets your mind racing. Watched? Watched by what? By who? Are there other humans nearby, looking upon the merman with uncertain eyes, calling the authorities? Your heart begins to palpate in your chest, thumping against your ribcage like a drum. Something’s going to happen to Corvus and it’s going to be entirely your fault, having gotten the mer comfortable with your presence and having him sit out in the open like this. Corvus is going to lose his freedom and his blood is going to be on your hands—

“At ease, little gem,” Corvus calls to you, stroking a soft knuckle down your spine, “You are in no danger.” You snap up to look at him, seeing his midnight eyes now peering down at you. You take a deep breath, and the pounding in your chest slowly begins to steady. 

Corvus’s eyes turn back to the shoreline, a swish of his feathery bangs revealing just how furrowed his eyebrows are. He looks disappointed, and you wait for an explanation. With a sigh, he offers, “It is nothing more than someone not knowing that I would prefer privacy.”

A slight droop in his tail allows you to finally see into the partially-illuminated waters. You strain your eyes to find whatever Corvus has been staring at, looking between jagged rocks and soft swells, but absolutely nothing reveals itself to you. Confused, you ask, “Where are you looking?” Corvus doesn’t answer, but eventually you take the hint to follow his eyes to another rock. Still, you see nothing.

The giant startles you by calling something out loudly in a language you do not understand, but finally you notice what he’s been staring at. What you had been fully convinced was just a normal rock lifts itself from the water, revealing a wall of black metal before removing a beak-like helmet. Pale skin begins to reflect the moon’s rays back at you, framed by a mop of black hair straight out of 2005’s top emo bands. As it approaches, you’re surprised to see that it looks strikingly similar to Corvus himself: a large frame with a betta-like tail that’s a tad more narrow, but still visibly powerful. This mer is shorter than Corvus by a substantial amount, but still definitely much larger than you are.

It– He, you believe, converses with Corvus in that unfamiliar tongue the entire time he comes closer, awkwardly dragging himself forward in sand until he’s within a few feet of your blanket. You think Corvus is asking this new mer a few tense questions, based off of the scolding tone of his voice and guilt in the new mer’s eyes, but any communication is lost on you. When Corvus fully lowers his tail, you see the new mer’s eyes widen, but it restrains from any further movement. Corvus finishes whatever conversation he was having and directs his attention back to you eventually with a call of your name.

“This is Shadow Captain Kayvaan Shrike,” he says to you, gesturing a hand in Shrike’s direction. You introduce yourself, unsure if he understands you, and hesitantly reach a hand out towards Shrike for a handshake. He stares at it dumbly, until Corvus mutters something to him in their shared language and Shrike gently takes your hand in his. Incorrectly, just as Corvus had. You’re beginning to notice a trend with the seafolk, and you would call it cute if it wasn’t for the unquestionable strength in the hand over yours.

Corvus directs another inquiry at Shrike, and Shrike takes his hand back to point behind you. Before you can fully turn around, a new voice incredibly near to your head causes you to all but fling yourself off of Corvus’s tail. The giant mer catches you and your picnic basket with a huff, turning his head to address the second newcomer. You follow to see another pale face looking at you inquisitively, standing adjacent to Corvus. He bears similar armor to Shrike, but instead of a shaggy swoop, he wore a slicked-back mohawk. All three merfolk possess the same blacked-out eyes.

“Nykona,” Corvus grunts, before delving into another scolding. ‘Nykona’ doesn’t wear the same kicked-puppy expression Shrike did, instead continuing to observe you in silence. His gaze carries the intensity of someone who has seen and done things in his lifetime that you wouldn’t be able to stomach, sending shivers down your spine. At the end of Corvus’s speech, he gives a simple response and a nod.

Your mer finally turns back to you and directs you towards ‘Nykona’, saying, “And this is Nykona Sharrowkyn, Mor Deythan. Both he and Kayvaan are Astartes.” You have no idea what the second half of that means, but you acknowledge it anyway. You opt to cling to your basket instead of offering a handshake to Nykona, checking the inside contents to make sure they’re alright. Everything appears to be in place.

Nykona and Shrike shift to listen to Corvus speak again, that rhythmic guttural vaguely similar to what it sounds like to list a species’ proper name. You try to make sense of it, but only occasionally do you pick up on names.

The quiet exchange continues on for a fair while longer, before a fantastic idea causes you to jolt upright. Each of the raven-colored merfolk look at you, and you beam at them. 

“Do they want to try some human food?”

Corvus had to set a few ground rules with the Astartes, and he had gently placed you down upon the blanket before explaining that it should only take a short moment. 

It did not, in fact, take a short moment.

Shrike and Nykona seemed to have an interrogation of their own for Corvus, but in the end, you were actually grateful for the opportunity to see how merfolk interacted with each other. Perhaps it was just these individuals, but they were incredibly formal with each other by your human standards. Respectful distances, no yelling, what seemed like actual discussion. You dare say that Corvus was affectionate with them the way a father was with his sons, reassuring any perceived outburst with a hand on the shoulder and gentle words. The two smaller mer even doff their armor, broad in build even without the augments. You avert your gaze respectfully.

Eventually, Corvus seemed content with the state of things and led the two newcomers back over to you. Corvus curls around your back protectively, leaning against the cliff face again. Nykona makes his way to your right, resting his front on the comfortable blanket while his tail remains on the sand. Shrike has no qualms sitting on the blanket directly beside you.

A strongly-accented voice prods about the basket. “So we are eating what’s in there?” Shrike asks, head tilted like a curious dog. 

“Oh! Yes, that’s the plan.” You had no idea whether or not the ‘Astartes’ could understand you, let alone respond to you, so the question comes as a surprise to you. You open the basket, showing him the contents. 

Shrike inspects them, then reaches within to pull out a package: a desaturated baby blue with a potato chip on the cover. The captain sniffs at the bag and is confused when he can’t smell much outside of the plastic. “I have seen these floating in the waves before, but they are not often sealed.”

The sentence makes you frown, and you gesture for him to hand you the bag of chips. “Not every human cares about the ocean the way I do. They’ll eat the contents and leave the trash behind. It’s awful behavior.” You pull the sides of the bag open to reveal the salt-and-vinegar chips within. The acrid smell of vinegar makes all three of the mer recoil with varying intensity when you happily pop a chip in your mouth. 

In an attempt to ease them into the other foods, you withdraw the strawberries. The smell of the sweet chocolate coating catches their attention instantly, and Corvus, despite all of his politeness, doesn’t wait for you. He tears open the clamshell with a gentle claw and plucks one of the large confectionaries for himself. You give him a playful glare before you take your own berry, noticing that a second is already missing. Nykona chomps away at his from the edge of the blanket.

Only Shrike dares to take a chip from the bag, both Corvus and Nykona passing up the offer politely. Each of you watch as the pungent acidity and saltiness causes the Astartes to wince, gills fluttering awkwardly as he breaks into uncomfortable coughs. Shrike spits the chip out into the sand with groan, wiping off his tongue. You place a hand on his shoulder to comfort him through it, and you’re surprised to see it actually seem to ground him. So is he, by the way he gently pushes your hand away. When Shrike is calmed down enough to focus on another food, he reaches for the remaining strawberry– then lets out a short growl. Shrike’s eyes instantly snap over to Nykona.

Nykona, rather contently, chews on Shrike’s allotted berry. He wears a face of perfect nonchalance.

Corvus covers you protectively with a hand as Shrike glares down his fellow Astartes, but you break the tension by offering Kayvaan your berry. He looks down at the strawberry reluctantly, eyes flicking between it and your patient face. Tentatively, Shrike takes the berry and plops it whole into his mouth, and the instant relaxation in his eyes makes giving up your treat worth it. 

You feel a gentle rumbling against your back, and you look up to see the tender expression Corvus casts your way. A careful hand places itself at your shoulders and strokes the muscles there, and you return the soft look. 

Nykona crinkling the rainbow bag of candy pulls you from the moment. “These are sweet too. I can smell it,” he mutters, using a claw to open the larger bag and spill out the individually wrapped pieces within. 

Warheads. You had bought Warheads. You may have loved Warheads, but you seriously doubt they would given the collective reaction to the salt-and-vinegar chips. 

Nykona picks up one of the packaged candies and makes an unreadable face, with Shrike following suit. You take one for yourself and Corvus, offering it up to your betta. 

“These are called Warheads. They’re sour candy, so they’re not really for everyone, but I like them.” After your brief explanation, you show each of the boys how to open the packaging and plop the hard candy into your mouth. The instant burn on your tongue causes you to shiver, but after a bit of intense salivation, it quickly gives way to the sweet candy underneath. 

The hesitation on each of their faces is clear, but after Corvus places the candy in his mouth, the Astartes follow suit. 

You’re surprised to see each of the merfolk maintaining a straight face. Honestly, you had expected each of them to absolutely hate the taste. Hell, most humans hated the taste of warheads because of the extreme burn of sour each of them packed. It was a pleasant surprise to know that Corvus and his… pod(?) must enjoy sour candy—

A shuddering choke to your left catches your attention. Shrike breaks first, letting out an uncomfortable hiss of air and shaking his head, hair covering his face. A groan from your right, and Nykona is removing the warhead from his mouth, dropping the sticky sugar onto the blanket with a less-than-amused look. You only just notice Corvus reach up and take the Warhead off of his tongue, holding it between his claws and frowning at it. 

He looks at you with sad eyes, “That was… unpleasant.”

It’s enough to break you into a fit of hysterics, throwing your head back against Corvus’s tail as your core shakes with laughter. Each breath wheezes out of you uncontrollably, limbs feeling gooey as you sink further and further into the blanket. 

No one else seems as amused.

Once you get yourself mostly under control, you fall forward onto your hands and knees and reach into the basket with unsteady hands. The merfolk watch as you rummage through it and pull out the hidden salmon filets from within. With pride, you present the orange meat towards the sky.

You don’t even see each of them move– you can only feel the air move around you before your hands are completely empty. The tang of fish fills the air from every direction, then the wet sound of teeth ripping into flesh. You could only describe the scene as feral, sharks tearing into unsuspecting seals in an attempt to wash the taste of the warheads out of their mouth. Only to another marine biologist could you describe it as “cute.”

Corvus wipes off his mouth as he finishes, a soft huff of relief leaving his gills. He gives you a pensive look before his hands snake beneath your arms, lifting you up and drawing you close. You hold yourself against him with a hand on his chest as he adjusts his grip to support your weight better, missing the look the giant casts to the other mer. Movement behind you causes you to look over your shoulder, and you’re surprised to see Nykona and Shrike completely clad in their armor once again, Shrike’s white helmet making him easy to identify in the low light. Both Astartes salute Corvus, hands crossed over their chest, before slithering back towards the ocean. You wave at them in goodbye, receiving a nod of acknowledgement as they go.

Corvus bends down to gather your blanket and basket, cradling you to shield you from the change of gravity then starting off in the direction of his den. With Shrike and Nykona gone, a warm silence fills the air. You smile up at your black betta, and he returns it. You glance back towards the water.

You can't help but wonder more about their relationship, and you make it known, “I know their names, but who are they?” 

Corvus trails your glance towards the sea. “Nykona and Kayvaan are my sons.”

His words drop like a bombshell, and you freeze. The thought that Corvus has sons fills you with unease and… jealousy? Sure, you know Corvus has a life outside of yours, and you knew that he had one before you were around, but the thought still does terrible things to your heart.

Corvus can smell the dismay on you, and as soon as you two are within the safety of his cavern, he drops the items he’s carrying. He uses his freed hand to lift your chin, tilting your head to look up at him, “Do not be troubled. They are only my sons in name…”

You find relief in his reassurances, but the way he trails off leads you to feel suspicious once more. You know there’s more he has more to say, and you motion for him to go on. Corvus’s jaw tenses.

“They are made with my genetic material, but I had no hand in making them myself.”

Well that statement causes distinctly more heretical thoughts that you have to force yourself to tamp down. It still doesn’t explain very much, instead replacing your former question with less tasteful ones. With a shake of your head, you admit, “I still don’t understand.”

“It is better that way,” Corvus sighs and continues carrying you all the way into the bedspace, sequestering you both somewhere private. It comforts him to have you completely to himself without anyone to intrude on the moment. 

Perhaps there are better times to be a biologist, you reason as Corvus settles the two of you into the bed of furs, placing you on the un-scaled half of his lap. You look up at him with hearts in your eyes, leaning forward to rest against his cold chest. The sensation of something metal digging into your sternum causes you to sit up, looking down your shirt. You move to shift your raven necklace out of the way so you can lean against Corvus more comfortably, but your hand catches on a second necklace that you don’t remember putting on.

Cautiously, you withdraw the pendant and turn it over it in your hand, examining the teardrop of metal cradling a familiar black pearl. Warmth blooms in your cheeks as you gaze up into Corvus’s eyes.

That handsome face of carved alabaster smiles down at you expectantly.

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

these two pictures had me dying laughing

this is permanently in my search history now because I was also curious

I tried to base Kayvaan Shrike off of pre-heresy, as well as Nykona, but it can be difficult with such little source material so they definitely have aspects of their later personalities.

If you don't want smut, it's perfectly feasible to stop after this chapter!! This story can comfortably conclude here :)

If you do want smut, though, please enjoy:

[Part 7]

[sixofcrowdaydreams]

Headcanon:

Wylan doesn’t own the workshop on Rosenstraat where he works and lives at the beginning of the second season. Kaz owns it.

Wylan crawled out of a canal with 20 kruge in his pocket and immediately spent half of it on a week’s rent in a boarding house, acknowledging he only had enough money for one more week unless he also planned on eating too. His job at the tannery paid pennies. When Kaz commissions the Crow Club bomb Wylan is literally starving. Boy was broke. He could not afford an entire building, much less the chemicals and lab equipment he uses in the workshop.

But Kaz can. He canonically buys and invests in property. Therefore, the workshop belongs to Kaz and is where demolitions are specifically made for his gang. Kaz wants to prevent — as far as he knows — the little Van Eck runaway from going home when Barrel life becomes too difficult, so he keeps Wylan in his pocket by offering a job and a safe place to live.

[crossedsabers10s]

I saw something about Damon being a shapeshifter and going gender is stupid. Any more hcs or scenarios on that?

alkfdjalkfjdsf okay okay so!!! In S1 he was very much playing a role. He was the Bad Guy. Except that was to mask his real mission. He was there to save Katherine. Tormenting Stefan and causing trouble in Mystic falls are also goals, but secondary to the first, more amusements than anything. He also probably spent literal decades planning out exactly how everything was going to go. Some of his decisions were absolutely for the Drama. Like. Taking a Founding Family Daughter to a Ball in the Lockwood Manor to Retrieve the Amulet-Key??? Dramaaaa. He didn't need to do that. (I mean part of it was def Bothering Stefan, but he really could have just gotten an invitation into the house discreetly at any point prior. There was time between the comet 'charging' Emily's Amulet and the night of the party.) It really just strikes me as 'This is The Plan.' one he's spent who knows how long thinking of. So he has a Role to Play. That role is romantic hero/vengeful lover. He's very set on that, plus I imagine he wanted to present himself as similar, but not quite the same as the man Katherine has once known. Being in Mystic Falls, he's deliberately portraying a version of himself.

This being a very rambling way to say that after he realizes his entire life was based off a lie, Damon goes back to--like yeah sure I'm generally guy-shaped--(insert someone repeating 'generally?' with confusion here)--but who cares about that??? This vampire has spent decades hanging out in every dive bar imaginable and a lot of them had been drag clubs and gay bars and sex clubs and every shade of what society demanded be kept away from the rest of them. Gender isn't even like. some unimportant human concept to him, it's also one humans Made Up that doesn't apply to Other Humans and some of them just enforce the idea of it. It starts off small, in the 'when did you paint your nails?' sense, then he just starts going, yeah this IS a woman's top, but I'm rocking it and I Can Kill You, i think that's more important than how good I look in this sweater. Boots with more of a heel to them, occasional makeup, just whatever he feels like at the time. Sometimes he keeps his original body but wears a skirt, sometimes it's ambiguously androgynous in the 'excuse me, ma'am--sir? sorry, uh, here's your coffee.' And sometimes it's oh those are very much breasts, but that is a men's shirt and his face has stubble. Very nice clothes, like he had tailored shirts in canon, it's the same here. Really nice tops and skirts and shoes. Makeup On Point, expensive stuff, subtle jewelry, Caroline is lowkey annoyed he has such good taste. and also keeps wanting to look through his closet. Throw in some shapeshifting and its 'Are you a man or a woman?' 'I'm a vampire. Sometimes I'm a crow.' 'But what's in your pants?' 'fangs.' Given how very small town 2009 Mystic Falls is, this does not endear him to some people and probably sets him further apart than he was in canon. Though, I do like to imagine that the Originals don't even blink at this and just take it in stride before going back to their Murder Plots. Elijah is particularly gentlemanly, and does all those automatic 'holding out his arm' or 'holding the door, or a jacket' gestures with no reserve.

At some point Damon replaces all the (he usually goes by he because he doesn't especially equate pronouns with gender and does switch it up occasionally but sticks with he/him and his original name bc that's what he introduced himself as and bc Stefan would Make It a Thing--more about Damon throwing away every connection to his human life than him being a jackass, i think, but) but he replaces the pictures of the original Salvatore Siblings in the town archives and basically invents a sister solely for the purposes of gaslighting people into thinking he's the Original Damon Salvatore's Vampire Twin Sister Who Assumed Her Brother's Identity. Elena has to actually ask Stefan if he has a sister, which he denies, except it was a confusing conversation which left her unsure if they actually had a sister at some point or not and Damon somehow convinces her that Stefan doesn't know the actual truth and that he's his own twin. (He was very bored between the post-Tomb Opening binge drinking and depressed episodes.)

Katherine, watching this go down through binoculars: I think I'm proud? Shame he's going to try to kill me, I want to know where he gets his shoes.

i imagine if he wanted to keep up the Masquerade, but walk around town in a different form, he has an ID and backstory all set for a distant cousin on his mother's side. Her name is Desdemona, yeah they do look a lot alike, they both take after their mother's family. Stefan, stuck escorting his 'cousin' around town: please stop inventing Family Drama to talk about, you literally killed off any real family we have.

Damon, who has made a fake family tree and charts and has files on personalities complete with Thanksgiving Dinner Level Gossip: Not on your life. Don't you want to know how cousin Georgina gets back at Evil Aunt Charlotte?

Stefan: ...you need a hobby. A different hobby.

Damon: listen, it's this or murder. you pick.

Stefan: *sighs* Did Cousin Georgina elope?

Damon: She Eloped!! This, of course, enraged Evil Aunt Charlotte so much she had a heart attack and died!! Right there in the dining room!!

Stefan: we told people we were orphans with no close family, Damo--..Desdemona.

Damon, mentally plotting out how Evil Aunt Charlotte's funeral is going to have suspicious man in all black attend, who, when he turns to leave, reveals a gun under his jacket: We were estranged, problem solved. They didn't like Father. honestly, who did?

okay that took a very cracky turn but!! Vampires using their powers and immortality for Ridiculous Shit is my favorite thing

Gradually practicing until he can hold a full shift for as long as he wants and just disappears for a week to be a bird bc god knows the murders hanging around town are more fun than the people. Blood red lipstick and winged eyeliner and feathers nearly blending in with black hair. Eyes a touch too wide or irises oddly sized, dark blue nearly corner to corner. Spends a month breaking limbs oddly often bc he fucked up his bones and now theyre hollow even when he’s human-shaped. Maybe in this verse vampires are a bit wilder, a bit more connected to dark powers, and Damon especially so. Some others get stuck or can only partially adopt animal form, giving them a bestial appearance—and play their part in the myth of vampirism, the origin of some of the world’s stories.

Stefan can’t shift, doesn’t really have that talent and has none on animal blood, but when he isn’t maybe he can float a bit. Some murderous parody of Peter Pan—forever young and forever luring people away never to be seen again. (He could fly in the books, once he’s had more than animal blood. So could Damon.)

[mcntsee]

Decade

Summary: Kaz Brekker x sister! reader. Facing the aftermath of crows’ departures, a dangerous job was proposed, tensions rose, and Kaz’s façade wavered and a sacrifice was made. Based on this request.

Warnings: Sacrifice, violence, grief, “death”, Kaz is ooc at one point

Y/n and Kaz stood at a crossroads, both literally and metaphorically. The sprawling city, a web of treachery and ambition, seemed to mirror the shattered remains of their once-undefeatable crew. The passage of time had etched lines of experience on their faces and shadows of pain in their hearts, leaving Y/n to bear witness to the transformation of her brother, Kaz, into a colder, more enigmatic version of himself.

As each crow had departed, Kaz had grown increasingly desperate and reckless. Inej had set sail to find freedom on the open sea, Wylan and Jesper had left the criminal life behind for a “normal” existence, and Nina had been taken from them after the heart-wrenching loss of Matthias. With each departure, Kaz’s grasp on control seemed to slip, his grip on the world loosening as if trying to reclaim the pieces that had been stolen from him.

The glint of determination in Kaz’s eyes had given way to a consuming darkness. A storm of unresolved emotions that raged beneath his meticulously constructed façade. Each separation had chipped away at the carefully crafted armor he had worn for so long, leaving raw wounds that festered in the shadows. His desperation, once buried deep, now oozed to the surface in the form of reckless schemes and increasingly dangerous jobs.

Y/n had borne witness to this transformation, watching as her brother’s demeanor grew colder and his tactics more extreme. The warmth that had once lingered in his gaze when he looked at his fellow crows had faded, replaced by a calculating edge that had been honed in the crucible of their struggles. Kaz had become a riddle even to those who had known him best, his actions driven by a relentless pursuit of control and vengeance.

The dimly lit room seemed to hold its breath as Kaz’s voice wove intricate tales of danger and deception. The details of the new job hung heavily in the air, but Y/n’s growing unease was impossible to ignore. “This sounds like a suicide mission.” she had finally blurted out, her voice a mixture of frustration and genuine concern.

Tension crackled in the air, an electric current charging the atmosphere. Kaz’s gaze bore into Y/n’s, his defiant expression a reflection of the turmoil that churned beneath the surface. Their words clashed, leaving wounds that cut deeper than any blade.

In the midst of the storm of words, Y/n’s voice softened, a tremor of vulnerability threading through her words. “I miss the old you, Kaz.” she confessed, a sense of longing in her voice. For a fleeting moment, the impervious façade that Kaz had constructed wavered, revealing a glimpse of the brother she had once known. “That version of me is dead, Y/n.” he replied, a touch of sorrow tainting his words.

The charged exchange reached an impasse, marked by an intriguing directive. “Meet me outside the club in three hours.” Kaz commanded, his words heavy with an unspoken weight.

Their rendezvous led them to ascend a towering building, the sprawling panorama of the city unfolding below them. With each step, the weight of their shared history pressed upon them, the bond that had once united them now stretched thin. The rooftop awaited, a stage where the threads of fate were manipulated by Pekka Rollins, orchestrating a cruel and twisted dance.

The confrontation erupted in a sudden burst of violence. Guards emerged from the shadows, their movements swift and practiced, ensnaring Y/n and Kaz in an iron grip. Pekka’s grin held a malevolent gleam, a puppet master relishing his control over their destinies.

Pekka positioned Kaz in front of him, the barrel of a gun trained unwaveringly on Kaz’s form. Y/n was restrained across from them, held captive by a guard’s steely grip. A chill crept down Kaz’s spine as Pekka’s grin twisted into a sinister snarl. “I’ve had enough of you, you barrel scum.” Pekka spat, his words dripping with venom. The unmistakable click of the gun’s safety being disengaged sent a shiver through the room, the sound amplifying the threat that hung in the air.

Y/n’s heart raced as the tension reached a fever pitch. In a moment of heart-stopping determination, she lunged forward, her elbow connecting with the guard’s nose with all her strength. The guard staggered back, blood streaming from his nose, and for an instant, the grip on Y/n loosened.

With an adrenaline-fueled burst of energy, Y/n sprinted towards Pekka, her eyes fixed on the gun pointed at Kaz. The guard reacted quickly, his gun drawn and fired. The first shot found its mark, striking Y/n in the shoulder. Pain exploded through her, but she pushed on, her resolve unbroken.

The second shot seared through her calf, a fresh wave of agony crashing over her. Yet, fueled by sheer determination, she continued her charge. With a surge of strength, Y/n launched herself at Pekka, a whirlwind of determination and fury that shattered the room’s fragile balance.

Their bodies collided, a tangle of limbs and desperation, as Y/n tackled Pekka over the building’s ledge. In that split second, the world seemed to freeze as Pekka’s eyes widened with shock. The wind howled around them as they plummeted, the abyss below consuming them.

Kaz’s senses sharpened as a heart-stopping clarity settled over him. “No!” he roared, his voice a raw and desperate plea. His heart thundered in his chest, his eyes locked on the figures plummeting into the abyss. His sister—his world—disappearing into the endless darkness.

As Y/n fell, a whirlwind of memories swirled through her mind. Moments of shared laughter, secret confidences, and the unbreakable bond she shared with Kaz danced before her eyes. With a final, steadying breath, she closed her eyes, embracing the unknown that awaited her.

Kaz’s gaze remained riveted on the void, his knuckles white as his fists clenched. He strained to catch a glimpse of Y/n’s form, his silent prayer echoing in the night. But as seconds stretched into an agonizing eternity, a cruel reality settled over him. She was gone. “No…”

Ten years had passed since that fateful night, a decade of shadows and whispers that wrapped around Kaz like a suffocating cloak. In the aftermath, he had become a phantom, rarely seen beyond the confines of the Crow Club's walls. He had exacted vengeance upon each of the men who had played a role in Pekka's ambush, leaving a trail of death in his wake. But the weight of his sister's sacrifice lingered, an indelible scar etched into his soul.

He had returned to the Crow Club that night, his movements robotic and his demeanor cold. Locking himself in his office, he had shut himself away from the world for months, consumed by a maelstrom of guilt and grief. Jobs became an afterthought, the thrill of the heist no longer able to fill the void that had been left behind.

However, a decade later, Kaz had finally mustered the courage to venture into Lij to meet with a contractor. The air hung heavy with memories, each step a reminder of the past he had tried to bury. As he navigated the streets, however, he found himself haunted by visions of his sister—fragments of her, an older version, lingering at the periphery of his vision. He dismissed them as figments of his tormented imagination, a cruel trick his mind played on him.

After signing several contracts, Kaz found himself wandering the market, surrounded by the hum of life that continued to thrive even in the face of his own despair. It was there, amidst the bustle and noise, that he heard a voice call his name—his real name, not the alias he had adopted to shield himself from the world. He spun around, muscles tensed, ready to face a threat. But instead, he was met with a sight that sent his heart into overdrive—Y/n, standing before him, her smile a bittersweet echo of the past.

Kaz's breath caught in his throat, his mind a whirlwind of disbelief and confusion. He muttered something under his breath, his voice wavering. "This is not real. You've lost it, Brekker." His instinct was to retreat, to put distance between himself and the haunting apparition that stood before him.

Yet, Y/n stepped forward, her gaze unwavering, and spoke words that cut through the walls he had built around himself. "You'd think after ten years my brother would be happy to see me again." Her words held a lightness he had long forgotten, a playfulness that once defined their relationship.

In that moment, something shifted within Kaz. For the first time in his life, he found himself battling the ghosts of his past, his fears, and his overwhelming need for control. His brain urged him to flee, to escape the impossible reality that seemed to mock him. But there was something different this time—an ache in his chest, a yearning for the connection he had lost.

Y/n's smile was a lifeline, an anchor in the storm that raged within him. In a swift motion, he disregarded the barriers that had once kept him safe. With a vulnerability he had long suppressed, Kaz closed the distance between them and enveloped Y/n in a hug—an embrace that was both desperate and tender.

Y/n laughed, the sound a melody that echoed through the market. She hugged him back, the weight of a decade's worth of absence and longing evaporating in that simple gesture. While their bodies were locked in the embrace, Kaz's voice trembled as he finally uttered the words that had haunted him for years. "I thought you were dead."

Y/n's response was soft, her hands gently cupping his face as she drew back slightly. Her left arm trembled, a detail that didn't escape Kaz's notice. Her words were an invitation, a lifeline thrown to a brother who had long been lost in the darkness. "Let's have some tea and catch up?" she suggested, her voice carrying a warmth that melted away the years of isolation and pain.

Kaz nodded, a simple gesture that belied the torrent of emotions surging within him. For the first time in a decade, he allowed himself to lower his guard, to let go of the fears and ghosts that had held him captive. As they walked side by side, the bustling market around them fading into the background, Kaz dared to believe that perhaps, just perhaps, he could find a sliver of light amidst the shadows.

Y/n began to walk, and Kaz followed in her wake, a hesitant anticipation in his steps. Before long, they reached their destination—a modest house that held the secrets of his sister's life over the past ten years. Y/n attempted to unlock the door, her left arm trembling once again. He stepped forward, a silent offer hanging in the air. "May I?" he asked, his voice gentle. Y/n's smile was her response as she handed him the keys, her gratitude evident in her gaze.

As they entered the house, Kaz's eyes roved over the surroundings, each corner a tableau of memories he had missed. He moved from picture to picture, his gaze lingering on each frame as he studied the portraits adorning the walls. His sister and a man stood in one photograph, their smiles frozen in time. He continued his exploration, his eyes tracing the presence of the same man in several portraits. There was a story woven within the frames, one that begged to be unveiled.

His steps carried him to a picture of two children, their innocent faces frozen in a moment of laughter. He opened his mouth to inquire about their identities, but before the words could escape, a cacophony of joyous voices shattered the silence. Two children burst into the room, their boundless energy a stark contrast to the years of solitude Kaz had endured.

"Ma!" they exclaimed in unison, their arms reaching out to embrace Y/n. She welcomed them with open arms, the love in her eyes a testament to the years they had shared. As the children released their hold, the older brother pointed at Kaz and asked a question that tugged at the corners of Kaz's lips. "Who is that, ma?"

Y/n's laughter filled the room, a melody that danced upon the air. "That would be your uncle Kaz," she replied, her voice carrying a hint of mirth. Kaz's gaze shifted from Y/n to the children, his heart a mix of awe and surprise. The younger of the two gasped, his small hand covering his mouth as realization dawned. "You have the same name as me!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide with wonder.

“Kaz, this is Jordie,” said y/n while pointing at the oldest who in response gave a shy wave, “and this is Kaz.” she said while pointing at the youngest. Kaz found himself speechless for a moment, his mind swirling with emotions that defied description. The sight of his nephews, the legacy of the family he had believed to be lost forever, left him humbled and amazed. With a steadying breath, he knelt down, his movements deliberate as he met the gaze of the two children.

"Can I get a hug?" he asked, his voice soft but sincere. The response was immediate and joyful, a chorus of laughter and footsteps that rushed towards him. Small arms enveloped him, their embrace soft but firm none the less.

As the echoes of their joyful laughter began to fade, Y/n gently turned to her children, her voice filled with warmth. "Why don't you two go upstairs and play for a while?" she suggested. Without hesitation, the young boys bounded away, their laughter and excitement filling the air. With a shared glance, Y/n and Kaz watched them go, a silent acknowledgment of the profound moment they had just shared.

"Tea?" Y/n's voice broke the stillness, the simple question carrying a sense of normalcy amidst the extraordinary circumstances. Kaz nodded, his gaze lingering on her as he made his way to the table. Y/n quickly prepared the tea, her movements deft but accompanied by the persistent tremor in her left arm. She placed the cups on the table and settled down beside Kaz, the fragility of her condition at odds with her unwavering strength.

Kaz's eyes shifted from the tea to Y/n's arm, his curiosity piqued. "Why is your arm shaking so much?" he inquired, his voice carrying a note of concern. Y/n looked down at her trembling arm, her fingers gently tracing the path of the trembling. Her words were soft, carrying a weight that only a decade of silence could give. "It hit one of the rocks in the water when I fell ten years ago." Her fingers moved in a soothing rhythm, a gesture of self-comfort as she spoke the words that had haunted her.

"Nerve damage," she continued, her voice tinged with resignation. "Hasn't stopped shaking since." Kaz's gaze shifted from her arm to meet her eyes, the concern etched on his features palpable. He regarded her with a mixture of understanding and compassion, a silent acknowledgement of the pain that had woven its way into her life.

His next question was gentle, a gesture that sought to bridge the gap between the years they had spent apart. "Does it still hurt?" he inquired, his voice low and tinged with a vulnerability that he had rarely shown. Y/n's response was honest, her eyes holding his as she offered a glimpse into her reality. "Some days more than others," she admitted, her words a testament to the resilience she had cultivated over the years.

As they sipped their tea, the room seemed to embrace the fragile peace that had settled between them. Y/n's eyes held a genuine curiosity as she turned the conversation toward him. "What have you been up to in these past years?" she asked, her voice gentle. Kaz's response was measured, his words guarded yet filled with a quiet certainty. "Just casual business."

The exchange led to a shift in the conversation, and he inquired about her life with equal curiosity. Y/n's smile held a hint of nostalgia as she began to speak of the man she had met—Ezra. His name resonated in the air, a key to unlocking the chapters of her life that had been hidden from him. "We got married," she explained, her gaze distant yet filled with a quiet contentment. "And a little while later, came the kids."

In the quiet of that moment, as the teacups sat forgotten between them, the years of separation seemed to fade into the background. The echoes of a past that had haunted them both began to soften, replaced by the tentative hope of a future that held the promise of healing and renewal.

@thescorpioscrow I changed some stuff, and for that I apologize. Writer’s block was not helping me. Hope you still enjoyed it!

[sissytobitch10seconds]

Light as a Feather

Fandom: Grishaverse: Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows Summary: Nina is scared, so scared that she can't even get the words out of her throat. Luckily, she has five other voices to do the work for her when she can't. Warnings: Mentions of sexual situations, haphephobia, PTSD, and relationship miscommunications Word Count: 3,525 Ship(s): Kaz Brekker/Jesper Fahey/Inej Ghafa/Matthias Helvar/Wylan Van Eck/Nina Zenik

Archive link!

Their impromptu trip to Ravka and then return to the city that she was beginning to view as her home had almost made her head spin with the way that it had played out.

They had all been back in the country that she was born and raised in, the one that she had been destined to protect and likely would have died in. They had helped a literal living Saint bring down the Darkling and the Fold, freeing the country from the need that they had for her. She had returned back so that she could free the man that she loved with the blessing of the second most powerful woman in the entire country, the woman that she had cherished as a sister when they were training together.

Almost as soon as they had gotten back, they had more important issues to deal with. Inej wasn’t with them and they had mortgaged the Crow Club so that they could bring her out of the country with them the first time, which meant that they were fighting Tante Heleen back with a cudgel. She felt like almost nothing compared to the Nichey’voya and the Volcra that they had been fighting when they were working to bring down the Darkling. Per Haskell was furious that they had put the home he had grown so comfortable in to jeopardy but was quickly satiated when they revealed the amount of fanciful gifts that the king had bestowed upon them for their help in bringing down Ravka’s greatest menace.

Things were tense between almost everyone, with Inej being gone. She returned as soon as Mal decided that the ship needed to be veering away from the course that she had wanted. She came back and promised that she would only work with them for as long as it took for her to get a ship and a crew of her own, especially now that she knew how to sail. 

Wylan was still working at the tannery on orders from Kaz, which they had all found slightly strange in the beginning. That had changed entirely when their leader revealed the fact that he was actually the son of a wealthy merchant that had decided that he was going to run away. Things between Wylan and Jesper had gotten messy after that.

Nina herself had been working in the House of the White Rose while soothing people’s emotions and easing the aches of their bodies. It wasn’t the best use of her powers and certainly not where she thought that her life was going to lead her when she was sent on that fateful mission, but it was good work. Kaz was keeping her informed of what was happening with Matthias in Hellgate even if he wasn’t breaking Matthias out the way that she had begged him to.

Then had come the heist at the Ice Court. The six of them were finally together for the first time. Jesper and Wylan bickered almost as much as Nina and Matthias did, though theirs seemed a lot more bitter and passive aggressive instead of full-out hostility. The long walk through the snow to the town that held the Ice Court and the boat ride to Fjerda had been the worst couple of weeks that Nina had ever endured and she had to go through training with Baghra and Botkin at the same time.

Things had changed when they had seen each other almost die. Apparently Jesper had learned that even though his boyfriend wasn’t who he had said he was initially, he was some spoiled brat that had just run away from his father. Matthias and Nina had gained and lost trust with each other often enough that it put them on an even playing field, one that something could be built on.

Nina found herself becoming so attached to Inej that she felt like her heart might actually burst when the other girl wasn’t around. She also noticed that Inej was closer with Jesper and Kaz, able to touch them both despite the issues that the latter had. Wylan was also growing closer with Matthias and Kaz, to the point where she had walked in on them being intimate with each other.

They took down Pekka Rollins and Jan Van Eck in one foul swoop not long after they had returned from the Ice Court. Inej had her ship and she sailed for six months of the year with frequent stops back in Ketterdam so that she could either repair her ship or restock on supplies. Kaz had taken over the Dregs and ousted Per Haskell when his own boss had tried to turn the gang that he had already been running around on him. Wylan and Jesper were living in Geldstraat, though it was common to see Kaz haunting those halls as well. Nina and Matthias drifted between living in the clubs to traveling to Fjerda so that they could try to free other Druskelle to living with the Merchant Council member.

Something changed during the time that they were allowed to live without someone breathing down their neck, without the threat of war or imminent doom. They found themselves falling into the arms and against the mouths of the people that they had once only called friends. It was tender and heartfelt and so new for all of them, but they were quite good at figuring it out. Nina knew that the Triumvirate and the king had a similar relationship with the Saint and her firebird, so she was more okay with it than Matthias had been at first but still awkward.

Now it felt as easy as breathing. She didn’t know how she had managed to survive without being able to step foot back into Wylan’s grand mansion and be met with Jesper’s long arms around her waist, Wylan’s sweet head tucked into her neck, and Inej’s soft lips against her own.

She noticed that the others were growing closer to each other the same way that she was with them and it made her heart soar. Nina’s favorite thing was to watch the way that Inej and Kaz existed around each other without actually having to interact, the way that Matthias and Wylan would talk about the newest book that Matthias was reading to the latter, the way that Jesper would pick Inej up and dance around the room with her when he was feeling restless. It was enough to make her feel like she was melting even when she wasn’t being included in it.

She was having one specific problem with the situation, however. Even after she and the others had permanently moved back into the Van Eck estate since they were wearing down a little too much to continue their rigorous travels, it was still there in the forefront of her mind.

The others could touch Kaz but she still couldn’t. She watched carefully as Jesper would walk up behind Kaz and wrap his arms around the smaller man’s waist. She watched as Wylan yanked him around by the back of his shirt when he was being particularly stupid or mouthing off. She watched as Inej tucked herself into the crook of his neck or folded their hands together in her lap. She watched as Matthias slowly trailed his huge hands over the back of Kaz’s head and brought their lips together in the most sensual kiss that she had ever seen. She watched, but she could never do.

It had been years since they had gone to Shu Han to get the blade from the living Saint for Alina. It had been years since she had watched the way that Kaz had reacted to her hand resting on top of his, the way that his heartbeat had skyrocketed and he had fled the scene before the job was even over. She couldn’t touch him because every time she thought about doing so, all she saw was the fear that was gripping those near-black eyes from something as small as her trying to check on him.

They were all healing from their issues, they were all growing as people, and yet Nina was still too scared to touch her lover. 

The issue had gotten particularly big when she had walked in on Matthias and Kaz in the throws of passion and then was unable to get the idea of Kaz doing something similar to her instead of her husband. They had only kissed twice and both of those times had resulted in Nina nearly crying because she was so scared that she had done something wrong.

Her mind was a twisted storm of thoughts and feelings that she knew she had no hope of unraveling on her own. 

She was seated underneath the large apple tree in the center of the green space on the Van Eck estate. She was watching Hund for Matthias because the dog was very easily excited and the aforementioned man was out on a date with two of their partners. Hund didn’t really require that much watching, so she was able to relax and let her mind wander.

Of course, that meant that she was immediately thinking back to the image of Kaz standing above Matthias and then the flash of what it would be like for him to be doing that to her. It was quickly followed by a panicked fluttering in her heart as she remembered the way that he had reacted the first time she touched him.

She moved her finger up to her mouth so that she could chew on the skin at the edge of her thumb just to brush off some the anxious energy now inside of her. She didn’t know how she was supposed to fix this situation when she seemed to be the only one that was having the problem.

She must have been sitting outside for far longer than she realized because the very man that she had been thinking of walked out of the backdoor to their home and then directly over to her. “Nina,” Kaz rasped in that dark voice that sent shivers up the back of her spine.

“Yes, dear Kaz?” she asked, teasing him to try and get the thoughts that were sticking like honey to her mind out.

He looked at her with pursed lips and a furrowed brow, which let her know that this was more serious than him asking her to help him with lunch. Carefully, he sat down next to her so that he was leaning against the other tree in the little space that she had found. Hund noticed that another person had joined one of his owners so rushed over and lapped at Kaz’s face for only a moment before he disappeared back into the garden to do whatever it was that dogs did.

“Love, if you wanted to talk then we could have gone inside. You didn’t have to hurt your leg just for me,” Nina chided softly. She may not have been able to touch her lover because of her own fear but she still was able to care for him in a number of other ways.

“This is where you come to think,” Kaz said.

She flushed a little bit. She knew that she was decently easy to read when she wasn’t actively trying to hide something, she was trained as a spy after all, but it was still incredibly romantic to know that she was known by the people that loved her. “It reminds of being back in the Little Palace,” she explained softly. “I miss it there sometimes, and it helps me think to be somewhere that’s comforting.”

“What are you thinking about?” he asked. He was looking at her with eyes that were dark and monstrous, a look that made her way to bow down to him and beg forgiveness for a sin she didn’t even know about.

Nina didn’t know how she was supposed to admit the feelings that were swirling around inside of her like the darkest of storm clouds. The words were all caught on the edge of her tongue and her heart was hammering like she was affecting it with her own powers, the ones she had before everything came crashing down on her. “I don’t know if I can touch you,” she finally admitted, all of the words rushing out of her like a dam breaking after too much rain.

Kaz looked at her for a second, his face completely unreadable. She wished that she still had her old powers so that she could have some idea of what he was feeling, but she didn’t. She knew him well enough to know that he wasn’t angry since that was the only emotion that he was incapable of effectively hiding.

“You don’t think that you can touch me?” he repeated, raising his brow at her. “Nina, we’ve touched before.”

“But you’ve always instigated it and I’ve always felt so bad afterwards,” she mumbled. She didn’t know how to explain what she felt at the moment and she was doing a piss-poor job at it. At the rate that she was going, Kaz was going to assume that she didn’t want anything to do with him and their relationship would end in tears.

What she was expecting to happen never came to pass as Kaz let out a small sigh and then shifted closer to her. “Nina, tell me what’s really on your mind.”

She knew that he had gotten that ability from spending time with Jesper, who was never able to put his feelings into words right off the bat. She worried the edge of her dress in between her fingers as she slowly said, “Do you remember back when we were in Shu Han? Talking to the Saint?”

“Yes,” Kaz nodded.

“I touched you to make sure that you were okay and it made you have a panic attack. It was the first time that I had ever seen someone react to me like that and the first time that I had ever seen you as something other than Dirtyhands,” she explained. She refused to look up at him and meet his eyes, too afraid of what she might see. When he didn’t have anything to say to her in reply, she continued, “I guess I just assumed that if I tried to touch you again then the same thing would happen. I know that you’ve been doing a lot of work on your tolerances and your haphephobia, but I’m still so scared that I’m going to hurt you again.”

Nina only looked up when she heard the creaking of leather, which meant that Kaz was doing something with his gloves. He wore them a lot more rarely than he had before, which had allowed all of his partners to get used to the sight of his pale, dexterous fingers.

He shifted so that they were sitting side-by-side instead of facing each other and then slowly reached for her. He was moving like he was trying to make sure that he wouldn’t frighten a wild animal. She had seen that kind of caution when Matthias was trying to figure out the best way to comfort their partner, or when Wylan was having a flashback and Jesper was trying to soothe him before it could turn into an entirely sleepless night. She had always been so sturdy and sure of herself, even when she had a relapse back into the craving for jurda parem, that she had never seen it directed back at her. It made her feel vulnerable and special in a way that she knew she could easily get addicted to.

She let out a low breath as she tilted her hand up and met him halfway. Their palms slid together in perfect harmony and then their fingers threaded together slowly. She felt the warmth of his body leaching into her skin and then shuddering through her entire form so that her belly was full of bright, white light.

“Love, back when you touched me for the first time, I had done no work,” Kaz rasped. His voice was low and soft despite the naturally abrasive nature of it. It was soothing and made her feel so at ease that she actually found herself relaxing into his touch. Her heart was filling more and more the longer that they were touching each other. “I was a broken man that let fear rule him. I was greedy and yet still somehow unwilling to give myself what I wanted.”

“You wanted…?” she trailed off, unsure of what he had meant. She knew that he had been in love with Inej since she had met the two of them not long before they had sailed to Ravka for Alina and Nikolai. She knew that the two of them had a conversation about touch and what they wanted out of each other after the destruction of the Fold, which was when Kaz had started changing for his beloved Wraith.

“I wanted you almost as soon as I saw you,” he laughed. Nina was well aware that she was beautiful, which was why she had always used that when she was working with the Dregs. It was hard for her to believe that Kaz had found her beautiful enough to want her when they first met because he had been an enigma wrapped up in a mystery, something completely untouchable. 

He shifted again so that his free hand was brushing across her cheek. She felt sparks flood through her nerve endings there and she couldn’t help her eyes from fluttering shut. She was no stranger to pleasure, not when she had five partners and four of them were waiting at her beck and call to help fulfill her needs. Something about Kaz touching her in the way that he was felt more intimate, more gentle and connection-worthy than anything she had ever experienced before.

“I don’t know how someone like you could want someone like me,” Nina whispered.

“What, am I too ugly for you?” Kaz asked, though she could almost taste the laugh on his voice. He was teasing her and trying to get a reaction out of her because she was out of sorts and it made her want to start wailing like a baby.

“Of course not. You’re one of the most handsome men that I have ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on,” she sniffled. She tilted her head back when she felt his bare fingers trail down her jaw to behind her head so that he was drawing her closer. “Besides, only one of us can be self-deprecating at a time.”

“I outweigh you, I’ve been doing it for longer than you have,” Kaz mumbled. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the soft white skin of her neck reverently, like she was something to behold and cherish. It made a sigh drop from her lips even though she was biting them to try and hold back any noises. Her skin felt like it had when she had just come off of the parem, sensitive and hyper aware of everything around her.

“Kaz,” she whimpered. She wasn’t sure how much longer she was going to be able to handle that close proximity with him without reaching outwards to hold him herself.

She realized then that was what he wanted. Kaz was horrible when it came to actually telling them what he wanted, he often demanded that they draw it out of him. The only person that he would ever admit things to were Inej and the two of them were so used to sharing secrets that whatever Kaz had told her just stayed as another job.

Carefully, with shaky fingers and an unsteady heart, Nina reached out so that she was trailing her fingertips along the edge of his shirt. She turned her palm to the side so that she could drag her hand through the whisps of hair curling at his neck. He needed a haircut, she realized when she couldn’t find the stark line between the undercut and the long hair on top.

They were pressed together so tightly that their body heat had become one. Nina shifted so that her forehead was resting against Kaz’s and their noses were almost bumping against each other. He was so close that she could feel his breath against her neck and feel his lashes against hers when he blinked, fluttering like a butterfly against her cheek. 

She tilted her head up slightly when she felt the muscles in the back of his hand flex to tell her what he wanted something. Their noses knocked together and then his lips were on top of hers because she had leaned forward to join them. It was something that they had done before, but she had never instigated it. He had given her permission in the way that his hand was still resting on the back of her neck, but she was the one that had taken the final step that she had always left for him.

“There’s my girl.”

[skiiyoomin]

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ღWhat I think the Crows listen to

Kaz Brekker

Have you seen the way this man dresses? He dresses like a merchant and acts like one. He's definitely a very classy guy, hence the reason why I firmly believe he's the type of person that listens to jazz and soul music.

YOU CANNOT TELL ME OTHERWISE

Listens to Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé, Dean Martin

I've seen so many people classify him as the type to listen to hard core rock like Green Day, and although I understand why, I genuinely feel like Kaz is the type of person who enjoys the sound of the saxophone, the old school type of songs that your mom listened to when she was in high school.

I will forever stand by my point

Honorable mention: ABBA (He will never admit how much he enjoys their music)

INEJ GHAFA

To me she's a mix of 80s type of music and Taylor Swift. Like there's literally no in between.

I think Taylors more recent songs make her feel empowered in a way after everything she went through in the Menagerie.

Definitely enjoys her older songs though! I feel like she enjoys a lot of acoustic music and often shares it with Wylan.

As for the 80s taste, like you can't just tell me she doesn't listen to ABBA on a daily.

Honorable mention: Queen, just because.

NINA ZENIK

I think this one is pretty obvious

Pop queen all the way!!

Listens to the trendiest artists like Ariana Grande and Nikki Minaj.

Is always onto the next trendy song, never missing out on any.

She just lives for the poppy type of music that had you dancing on the spot no matter what!

She has definitely rubbed it a little bit onto Matthias

Screams the lyrics to Doja Cat songs with Jesper. PERIOD.

Honorable mention: One Direction, because I believe in my heart she has always been a Directioner and she bawled her eyes out when they disbanded.

MATTHIAS HELVAR

Either hard rock music or classical music. There is literally no in between.

Very emo, you can't convince me otherwise

Huge fan of artists like Pink Floyd, AC/DC, Green Day. THOSE type of artists

I'm a firm believer that he went through an emo phase in his life where the only music he listened to was My Chemical Romance and Panic! At the Disco.

Still cries to this day because of MCRs disbandment. Nina definitely teases him for it.

Honorable mention: Lady Gaga, because like I said before, Nina in some way has definitely influenced his taste. Lady Gaga is the bomb tho, I don't blame him.

JESPER FAHEY

Not gonna lie, I had a hard time figuring him out.

I think out of everyone, he has the most varied taste in music. Will listen to literally anything based simply on his mood.

Like Nina, he listens to pop the most. But I think he leans more towards older type of pop songs.

The type of songs you heard in your childhood that bring back core memories.

LOTS of club type of music like Usher, Pitbull, Britney Spears. Definitely a fun person to go clubbing with.

Honorable mention: The Neighbourhood. I am emotionally attached to The Neighbourhood, and I am emotionally attached to Jesper. I just HAD to put this in here.

WYLAN VAN ECK

Ok so the obvious answer would be soft type of music. Lots of acoustic type of songs.

LOVES artists like JVKE and Harry Styles.

BUT

he has another side that a lot of people forget to mention (aka book Wylan)

His guilty pleasures are the sluttiest type of songs. I'm talking The Weeknd, Chase Atlantic.

So many people picture him as a soft boy type of aesthetic and although it's somewhat true, so many people forget the "We could wake them up" Wylan.

Honorable mention: Arctic Monkeys, just like im emotionally attached to The Neighborhood, im just as attached to Arctic Monkeys and I know for a fact Wylan enjoys that type of music.

I said what I said.

[missmaniac25]

Night Life Part 2 - Kim Hongjoong

Tada, the sequel that literally only my bestie asked for. Love you @eazycel 😘 Part 1 can be found here

HongjoongxFem!reader Word count: 2.5K Warnings: drinking, creepy guy, insecure reader Disclaimer: same as last time, i aint ever been in a club...

~~~

The truth was that it had been a shit day. Running out of breakfast cereal, missing the bus, forgetting your lunch and the worst piece of all – your colleague. To give him some credit, he wasn’t that bad overall. He was pleasant to work with and a relatively nice person. But he had to pick today to try and come onto you.

“Yeah, so if you want to grab a drink sometime, I’d really love that!” Daniel said, chipper as anything.

In truth, you wanted nothing to do with him in that way, and all you could think about was going home to your loving boyfriend.

“Daniel,” you started, trying to be nice in your tiredness. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. You’re very nice but you’re not for me.”

“Hey, no worries.” He smiled and seemed to take it well. “It was worth an ask.”

With that out of the way, you thanked him for understanding, packed up your belongings and finely made your way home.

Hongjoong knew you. He knew you like the back of his hand. So, when you dragged yourself through the front door of your shared apartment and flopped on the couch without so much as a word, Hongjoong knew that something was wrong but that you didn’t want to talk about it yet. Instead, he made a cup of tea, pulled the biscuit tin from the shelf and joined you on the couch.

“When you’re ready,” he said, pulling you into his side. “I’m here for you, love.”

You let yourself be lulled by his presence and thanked your lucky stars that he was in your life.

“Thank you.” Was all you managed to say.

Hongjoong kissed your head, only saying ‘I love you’ in reply.

You had told Hongjoong everything the next morning to which his response had been to smother you in kisses until you couldn’t breathe, telling you over and over how much he cared about you. On the surface, you knew he meant just that but underneath it was that he was also doing it to make sure that you knew that no one stood a chance with you as long as he was around.

Not that you would ever be with anyone else. Hongjoong was everything and more that you ever needed.

~

“What is happening this evening, love?” Hongjoong asks as he watches you flutter around the room.

“Tonight is the staff outing thing,” you say, sitting down to put your shoes on. “I really don’t want to go but it’ll look bad if I bail.”

Your boyfriend knows that the night life bug still hasn’t bitten you, despite having been back to ‘Utopia’ a handful of times since that night with your friends. You’d almost always been up in the VIP balcony or behind the DJ’s booth with Mingi – somewhere safe and where Hongjoong could check in with you easily. He lived to make sure you were happy and comfortable.

“You know that you can go for a bit and then come home.” He held your hand and helped you up. “Or you could come keep me company at work.”

You kissed him on the cheek before gathering the last of your belongings.

“I’ll probably just come home,” you said. “But I’ll be waiting for you, like always.”

Hongjoong walks you to the door, stealing one last kiss from you before wishing you good luck, to which you laugh.

“Thank you, I’ll need it.”

The dinner had been calm and you had found yourself having a good time. So much so that when someone suggested going to a club, you didn’t retreat at the idea. And once the name ‘Utopia’ had been brought up and everyone agreed that that’s where they wanted to go, you had made up your mind.

“It’s a really nice place,” you offer your two cents, surprising the people around you. “I’ve gone there once or twice and I’ve never had a bad experience there.”

“Alright!” Daniel says, ushering everyone out of the restaurant. “Let’s hit the club!”

And that’s how you find yourself back in your boyfriend’s club, surrounded by your colleagues. The crowd around you seems to be having a good time as they dance to Mingi’s playlist for the night, some of then singing loud enough to be heard over the music. The atmosphere getting under your skin and you can’t help the smile forming on your face. Your boyfriend built this place from the ground up. How could you not be proud?

As always, you peak up at the VIP balcony, but can only see Yeosang serving drinks to some clientele; no sign of Hongjoong.

“You thinking of going up there?”

You turn to see Daniel standing behind you, drink in hand. He gestures to where you were looking and when you look back, Yeosang is back behind his minibar.

“Not tonight,” you answer, giving him a half smile. “Maybe another day.”

He laughs loudly and it makes you take a step back. His face is red – you deem that he’s had a few.

“You’re so funny.” Daniel closes the space between you again. “What I wouldn’t do to make you laugh more.”

The hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

“Yeah, well…” You try to move away again, not knowing how to respond.

A hand creeps around your waist and it causes your stomach to drop.

“Let go of me.”

“Dance with me!”

“No, let go of me!”

You manage to wiggle out of Daniel’s grasp. He’s right on top of you though. The people around you are blocking your line of sight – trying to find someone you can go to for safety.

Panic is starting to take over and you know you have to get away.

“Hey, where are you going?” Daniel yells as he stumbles after you.

Managing to slip through the people, you get to the bar.

“San!” You practically shout, hearing the shakiness in your own voice. “San, please!”

The bartender spots you and hurriedly makes his way to you.

“Is everything ok?” He asks, noting the way you keep glancing back to the dance floor.

You don’t get to answer him as Daniel emerges from the people behind you, beelining for you. San can see how quickly you tense up and he knows that if he doesn’t act fast, his boss will have his head. Faster than you can blink, he’s made his way around the bar and manoeuvring his way between you and Daniel.

“Wooyoung!” San calls to the younger bartender. “Call in the calvary.”

He doesn’t need to be told twice and you see him dash off in the opposite direction to where you and San stand.

“Who the fuck is this?” Daniel’s words are starting to slur. “Your boyfriend?”

“I’m the bartender. I’m also her boyfriend’s friend so if you don’t leave now, I’ll have to have you thrown out.”

San’s voice doesn’t waver, even when Daniel steps up to him. Your coworker is trying clearly trying to intimidate the bartender as he shoves him lightly.

“Please don’t make this worse,” you try to de-escalate the situation.

“That depends on him,” San comments.

A hand on your shoulder causes you to whirl around, only to come face to face with Yunho, and Jongho just behind him.

“Come on, let’s get out of here,” he says as a commotion breaks out behind you.

The three of you all stare as San pins Daniel to the bar, one arm twisted behind his back. Jongho is quick to jump to attention, joining the bartender in keeping Daniel down.

“The fuck are you doing to me?” He snarls, trying his hardest to get free. “I paid to get into this club, you can’t treat me like this!”

A new voice sounds clearly over the music.

“Can’t I?”

Hongjoong stands facing the scene, Seonghwa right behind him. You can’t help yourself as you run to him, slotting yourself against his side, and feeling his arm around you is all the comfort you need.

“Who are you?” Daniel slurs some more as San and Jongho hold him up to face Hongjoong.

Hongjoong ignores him, turning you to.

“Are you ok?” He lightly runs his thumb along your cheek.

“Better now that you’re here.”

For a brief second, there’s a smile on his face before he ushers you to Seonghwa’s side.

“Who am I?” He finally turns his attention to the mess. “Well, not only am I the owner of this club, so that means I have the power to decide who’s allowed in and who’s not. I’m also the boyfriend of the woman you won’t leave alone.”

It seems that Hongjoong’s words aren’t registering in Daniel’s brain as laughs.

“You? The dating her? Nah, why would you date someone like her?”

All the men around you stiffen and you even notice Yunho grimace. Seonghwa takes your hand in his, giving it a light squeeze, and it’s greatly appreciated.

Slowly, and with venom in his eyes, Hongjoong steps up close to Daniel.

“You don’t deserve her anyways.” He fishes Daniel’s wallet out of his pocket and hands it to Yunho. “Find his ID. He’s blacklisted from my club.”

His sentence is barely done and San and Jongho are dragging Daniel off, kicking and screaming, Yunho right behind them. People on the dancefloor quickly get out of their way, and you see your other co-workers staring with their eyes wide. Mingi’s voice comes over the speakers.

“That’s your reminder not to be a jerk.”

There’s a soft chuckle before the music picks up again and everyone goes back to what they were doing.

Seonghwa lets you go and you want nothing more than to lose yourself in Hongjoong and never come out. Tears are threatening to spill but you don’t want to cry here.

But because Hongjoong knows you like the back of his hand, he’s quick to gather you to his side and lead you upstairs, pushing open the door to his office. The noise of the club fades as the door closes.

It’s just you and him.

You collapse into his arms which hold you tightly against him, and start to sob, everything suddenly becoming all too much. Hongjoong just holds you for a while, using the time to calm himself down. When he finally feels like his blood is no longer racing, he looks down at you.

“Hey,” Hongjoong says softly and he calls again when you don’t look up immediately. “It’s ok. I got you. He’s gone.”

You know he’s right, Daniel is gone, but it’s something that he said that’s still ringing in your ear.

“Why are you with me, Hongjoong?”

Your boyfriend’s lips turn down and his eyebrows furrow.

“Love, don’t listen to what he said. He was trying to get a rise out of me; it nearly worked too.”

You shake your head, letting insecurity slip in. He was rich, successful, good looking. He probably had girls and boys fawning over him every night, so why did he keep coming home to you?

“Love, my love.” Hongjoong delicately brushed away the tears on your cheeks. “You are everything I could ever want. No one else understands like you do. No one else could be so patient with me like you are. If anything, I’m not good enough for you.”

You shake your head at his words but he’s quick with an answer.

“What kind of good boyfriend leaves the house when his girlfriend just arrives home, leaves her alone the whole night and only comes home early in the morning and expects her to still be there for him? Love, you barely get to see me but you still love me with everything in you. Why? You should be angry, frustrated. You should despise me.”

The shaking of your head becomes furious.

“Never. I could never despise you,” you tell him, looking into his eyes. “I am so in love with you. Your work is so important to you and that means it’s important to me too. And when we are together, you make those moments special, even if they should be ordinary.”

You’re about to lean in and kiss him when there’s a knock on the door. You can feel Hongjoong’s breath as he sighs and it almost makes you laugh.

“Who is it?” He calls.

Yeosang and Jongho enter, the former carrying two glasses.

“It’s been taken care of,” Jongho informs you both as the glasses are put down.

“An ice water to help calm you down,” Yeosang says to you before looking at Hongjoong. “And a whiskey for the boss.”

 You both give them your thanks and Hongjoong dismisses them. He leads you to the couch he has up against one wall and sits next to you, passing your glass to you.

“This is going to make work very awkward on Monday,” you suddenly realise, taking a small sip.

Your boyfriend stays quiet and you know he’s thinking things through; going through different options of how to deal with it.

“You could always work for me instead.”

At that you laugh. The sound is music to Hongjoong’s ears and he smiles.

“And pray tell what is it that I would do?” You ask, snuggling into his body once more.

“I’m sure we could find a title for you but really you could just sit in the VIP balcony looking pretty.”

“Like the queen of the club?”

Hongjoong hums and you can’t believe that’s he’s actually considering it.

“No,” you let him know. “That’s not a real job. I’ll figure it out, babe.”

Hongjoong plants a kiss to the top of your head.

“If you change your mind, the offer still stands.” He informs you. “Say the word and I’ll have you here with me every night. My queen, my love.”

[siriuslysatorusimping]

Your rant about college au's and high school- first of all, I relate lol. Second of all, I had a slightly different college experience because I went to school at a teeny tiny women's college (700 students at most, no Greek life, no football). So it wasn't that there was a single student everyone knew, but that everyone just knew everyone. I love that I had that experience, but honestly reading Physical Paradox makes me wonder what going to a bigger school, a larger pond, if you will, would have been like. My grad school is still super tiny compared to most colleges in the state even though it feels a bit bigger to me. Maybe I'll get to experience it for my post doc - but if I only experience it through Physical Paradox, I can't complain :)

See, that reminds me of small-town syndrome. And as someone who is from a semi-small town, and whose mom is definitely from a small town (like, you mention her maiden name to someone there and everyone in a ten-foot radius knows who you're talking about 🙃) I feel like I would have hated that lol.

Though, I will say I went to a community college for a couple years before university, and that was actually really nice. But there weren't really people I saw regularly.

There's a level of anonymity to a big school that's super comforting.

I RANTED AND IT IS BELOW THE CUT 😂😂

When it came to my school, there were around... 35-40k students when I was in undergrad? We had a homecoming king and queen every year who were from some of the larger organizations or greek groups, but I couldn't tell you their names then or now. No one except the people in those orgs cared. Ever. They got people to vote by offering them free things. No one cared because it was literally just, "I need to survive this week. My future is on the line so why do I give a fuck if some asshole gets to walk on the football field and wear a fake crown?"

We had a student body president, but AGAIN I COULD NOT TELL YOU THE NAME OF ANY OF THEM EVER. (wait, that's a lie, one of my friends went to high school with one of them, so I spoke to him once in the hallway of the English building when he stopped to talk to her - long before he became student body president - and then promptly never spoke to him ever again. I think his name was Ben? 🤔)

I wasn't in any clubs, and I was never in a sorority, either, so things were likely very different for people who were. But I really enjoyed my undergrad and grad experience. I was depressed as fuck, but I still am, so I can't blame school for that lol.

When it came to recognizing people, I'm not joking when I say Mahomes was the only one people recognized. The quarterback a few years later was one of my friends' students and SHE HAD NO FUCKING CLUE WHO HE WAS AND NEITHER DID THE REST OF US BECAUSE WE STOPPED CARING ONCE WE COULDN'T GO TO THE GAMES FOR FREE.

If anything, there were a few professors who taught the basic courses that everyone knew because they'd taken a class with them because they had to at some point (a history, anthropology, science, or art history class). But I'm talking like, "Oh, Dr. Whatshisface, who teaches that one super weird class that counts as this core credit so you don't have to take the boring version? Yeah, everyone took that class." there was a professor who taught a northern myths and legends class who looked like a mix of Chris Hemsworth and Russel Crowe, it was strange. He also taught German. Most people had heard of him because he dressed up as Thor every Halloween to make his students laugh. He was really nice. He let us watch movies as extra credit.

Now, departments? Oh, the departments talked. Every department had professors everyone knew or hated or loved. My fave prof was a lit professor everyone thought was super hot (I've genuinely always been creeped out by this, and what's funnier is that he was also creeped out.) My least favorite was the asshole I've mentioned before, and literally no one liked him.

SO. Physical Paradox Goinko makes sense from a professor perspective because word spreads about the good and bad professors. "Don't take this guy because he's an asshole" "take this professor because she's wonderful" "if you take this guy, the class fucking sucks but it's actually really great and you learn a lot" "that guy is a dick, but he's actually a good teacher if you give him a chance"

That kind of shit always goes around. People ask acquaintances about professors or specific classes because a professor makes or breaks that class for the semester. I remember being devastated when a class I was taking got switched to a different prof last minute and GUESS WHAT IT WAS HORRIBLE. ONE OF THE ONLY B'S I GOT IN GRAD SCHOOL. FUCK THAT GUY.

But I'm trying to keep it as realistic as possible when it comes to the student aspect. Because people just don't know each other and they honestly don't give a fuck most of the time. You meet someone in a class and you become decent enough friends, but if you never speak to them again after that? Meh. No biggie. That's what Rinko and Geto were like before the class in Theoretical Introduction. They likely would have still become better friends in that class, even without Gojo there, though.

Grad school was different because you have cohorts and those are smaller groups of people you're with until you finish your program, but even then? I know next to nothing about anyone who was in my program aside from my best friend. BUT WE ONLY BECAME GOOD FRIENDS BECAUSE WE WERE OFFICE MATES. WE WOULD HAVE NEVER SPOKEN OUTSIDE OF CLASSES IF NOT FOR THAT. I think there were five(? it's been so long I actually can't remember) of us, and we became friends in that we occasionally grabbed drinks together and graded together but beyond that? I still speak to two people, including my best friend. The other lives kinda close to me now anD I JUST REALIZED I HAVEN'T RESPONDED TO A TEXT FROM HER IN WEEKS HOLY FUCK WE WERE TRYING TO PLAN GETTING DINNER-

okay rant over i'm gonna go reply and try to be a decent friend 🫠🫠🫠

[lassieposting]

Things Kirigan and Kaz have in common:

- Fashion Sense: Both like understated elegance, relying on flattering cuts and quality fabrics to project an air of status and wealth. Both favour black with metallic accent colours (gold, silver, copper, brass). Both appreciate a good brocade.

- A Beloved Pet Dumbass: Kaz has Jesper and his gambling addiction. Kirigan has Nikolai and his complete lack of self-preservation.

- Touch Aversion: specifically as a result of childhood trauma.

- Devotedly Loyal #2: Ivan for Kirigan, Jesper again for Kaz.

- Missing Sibling: Kaz is a little brother without a big brother, and Kirigan is a big brother with a little sister he only sees rarely.

- Heart Eyes For Wifey: Inej for Kaz, Alina for Kirigan.

- Tactical Minds: Strategy is Kirigan's literal job and Kaz has a talent for outmanoeuvring his enemies - he plans the Crows' heists.

- Snark Knight In Dented Armour Personality: They're both deeply traumatised, broken men with massive trust issues who are nonetheless charismatic, fiercely loyal and very protective of those they care for. Kaz uses his influence to protect his crows, and rescues Inej from the Menagerie. Kirigan is a living shield between Fjerda/Shu Han/the less tolerant Lantsov kings and Ravka's Grisha population, and he's willing to take on his own merzost monsters to protect Alina.

- Power & Influence: Kaz is the head of his gang of criminals, vaguely analogous to a mob boss. Kirigan runs an army. Both are lonely, isolating, high-pressure roles where they are surrounded by underlings, not equals.

- Childhood Circumstances: Kaz was left homeless and destitute in a dangerous, degenerate city after Jordie lost their money and subsequently died. Kirigan was raised as a hunted minority, impoverished and perpetually on the move. They'd likely share some essential childhood skills; sleight of hand, light fingers, a flexible interpretation of personal property, cheating at cards, etc. Skills they could've used to feed themselves when nothing else would.

With that in mind:

Friendship Thoughts

- They're (officially - no one here has forgotten The Bomb Incident) introduced by Nikolai post-war. Sturmhond has done contract work for Kaz in the past - mostly overseas couriering of dubiously legal merchandise - and likes to drink at the Crow Club when he's docked in Ketterdam.

- Kaz recounting the story of his triumph over Pekka Rollins, however many years in the making, over a civilised glass of whiskey with the same kind of savage satisfaction Kirigan recognises from finally winning a brutal, drawn-out campaign.

- (Kirigan advises him to take in the Rollins boy, and be a kind mentor to him. Leaving him with the Dime Lions who are loyal to his father allows them to make him your enemy. Taking him prisoner and mistreating him does the same thing yourself. Far better to control both the boy and the narrative he's told from a young age. Trust him, Mr. Brekker, he has made that mistake with so. Many. Princes. Harmless boys will come back as angry men to bite you in the arse.)

- Deep, involved debates and discussions on tactics and strategy. Kirigan is an incredibly powerful Grisha and, while he grew up in the dirt, has spent centuries as a supposed "nobleman" and politically influential advisor to the Ravkan crown. Kaz spent much of his life as a penniless, powerless Barrel rat clawing his way out of the gutter with nothing but his wits. They approach the same problem from very different perspectives with very different assumed-available resources and see things the other would miss.

- Nikolai inviting Kaz to fancy Ravkan balls like it's a fucking play date. Kirigan can introduce him to a whole new network of wealthy investors if he wants to grow his business interests, open up a new echelon of society. And when they're not doing that, they can hide out in the corner being antisocial and judging everyone else's fashion choices.

- Long, dry letters exchanged across an ocean. Kaz sends a page and a half of Trouble Jesper Has Gotten Into Lately to Os Alta, in miniscule, italicised handwriting. After a few weeks, he receives three swirly, copperplate pages of Stupid Shit Niko Has Done This Month in return. For both of them, this is mostly entertainment, a brief break from an endless stream of boring paperwork to snort at the antics of someone else's idiot.

- Swapping skillsets. Kaz has plenty of his own informants in Ketterdam, but will sometimes write to tap into the Darkling's extensive, notoriously on-the-ball spy network, if foreign intelligence will be useful for a job. In exchange, he'll use his criminal network now and then to get Kirigan things from the black market - explosives, firearms, supplies Ravka is running low on, escaped Grisha indentures - on the quiet.

- Corecloth suits for Kaz. Fancy court waistcoats with Kerch embroidery for Kirigan. Swapping tailor recommendations. It sounds snarky, like they're subtly dunking on each other, but they're enjoying themselves. Jesper and Nikolai can simultaneously bond over being flamboyant and debonair.

- Nikolai learns quickly not to play cards with either of them. He knows how to cheat well enough, but Kaz and Kirigan are playing 5D Cheating Chess with sleight of hand, crimped cards and gaslighting, and if he keeps at it he'll lose everything down to his trousers. It's always the quiet ones.

- Mutual grousing about how inconvenient Feelings are. These two sat at the bar in the Crow Club downing shots while Kaz laments that Inej left him to go adventuring and Kirigan tries to explain that Alina murdered him but he got better. Plenty of salty side-eye aimed at Wylan and Jesper, being cute and couply at the Makker's Wheel table.

- "...is that a De Kappel?" "It is. What of it?" "I met him, once. About thirty, thirty-five years ago. He came to paint Pyotr's wedding portrait." "My wraith procured that one for me." "Ugh, perhaps you could have her procure ours, as well. It's still hanging in the throne room. I'm tired of seeing his pug face every time I report to Nikolai."

[sky-neverending]

i wrote a little thing

Kaz Brekker saw the world in black and white.

Not literally, of course. He could still see color perfectly fine. It just… didn’t mean anything to him.

He never understood why people marveled at the sight of extravagant purples or burning reds or greens the color of a forest. Not when simple blacks and grays worked just fine.

He liked the foggy dullness of Ketterdam, of the Crow Club, the muted colors and chipped paint. He liked the way everything blended together in a monotone haze.

Why stand out when you could watch from the shadows?

He didn’t need color. And color didn’t need to get in the way. It was as simple as that.

But it wasn’t. Not really. Not when he lay in his bed in the creaking attic of the Slat. Not when he stares at the ceiling in the darkness and a deep purple, the color of lavenders at twilight, seeps into his mind, splashing around the blackness.

It’s an all too familiar shade. One he sees on the daily, in the flash of a cloak from rooftops or the sudden pounce from behind him. One accompanied by a sweet laugh and a soft smile on the good days, and the furrow of a brow laced with concern on the bad.

It’s a color that screams all the things he wants to deny. A color that brings out his vulnerability. A color that is the definition of beauty, and by that, drives him to the brink of insanity.

Slowly, the colors grow. A deep green, the burn of a red, the softness of a light orange, and an icey blue. All swirling in his head, dancing across his vision. All sending him further and further into his own darkness, wondering how he could escape.

Because the colors meant something. And things weren’t supposed to mean anything to Kaz. Life was a business opportunity, not a place to get attached. Don’t attach yourself to things, and you won’t get hurt. As simple as that.

But he found himself getting drawn into these colors, despite how much he pulled away from them. They invaded his dreary mind, bursting holes in the black and white he had learned to live by.

They blinded him. Sent his sensibilities down the drain, stripping away his layers of protection. They seeped into the crack, splashing like rain fall and landing in puddles under his feet.

And as much as he hated to admit it, they made him smile. Because the colors meant his Crows. And his Crows were his family.

So he let the color drip, drip, drip into his mind, when the darkness of a cold rainy night sent him clutching at the sheets. When the pain in his leg hummed through his whole body and caused him to grip a little bit tighter on his cane.

Purple.

Green.

Red.

Orange.

Blue.

And a little bit of black.

[witchthewriter]

𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 @timetobooooooogey.

Want one? Here’s more info 🦋🌈  

𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 ... 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚...𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝑭𝒂𝒉𝒆𝒚! The man with many talents, the one with all the humour, the comic relief, the man we all want to marry. I think you two would be an absolute HOOT together. A cracking good time, absolutely always getting on Kaz’s nerves with your shenanigans and tomfoolery. 

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

・Okay so you’re apart of the Crows, you ended up in Ketterdam when you were young or maybe you were born there, either way the soiled city was your home. But the Crow club was were family. 

・Jesper was a long time crush of yours. I mean... who wouldn’t fall in love with Jesper? Even a little bit? His charm, the way nothing fazes him, his humour in horrid situations... it makes everything easier

・It was Nina who pushed you two together. Always making sure Kaz put you on the same mission, if an item needed buying she would make you two get it etc

・Jesper knew what was happening all along and just went with it. He thought you were cute, but with each outing, he realised just how interesting you are

・Kept asking Nina if you actually liked him. 

   “No but are you serious though-”

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

Little Alice by Danny Elfman

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

・Nerd (You) x Jock (Jesper)

・Isn't Scared of Anything (Jesper) x Worries About Everything (You)

・Confident & Flirty (Jesper) x Has Never Been Flirted With Before, Thinks They're Just Being Nice (You)

𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆

Constant Banter

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

Your heart. Your personality, god he can’t choose one??? The way you light up when talking about your favourite subject, when you ramble on about your crappy day, just everything about you. He absolutely loves. 

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅

Inej, and Nina. Even if you don’t see each other all the time, your bond is the kind where you pick up exactly where you left off. You have so many inside jokes. You’re like the Powerpuff girls (is it Powerpuff or Powder Puff i Literally don’t know). But like you’re own version of it. 

𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆

Wylan mixed with Alina. I think you’re a very strong yet quirky individual. God I don’t want to spoil season 2 so I won’t but there’s a specific scene where you are LITERALLY WYLAN and it would be so representative of your personality. Anyway, you seem like a loving and caring individual who doesn’t know exactly how to show it at times, but you’re loyal to a fault and would do anything for the ones you love. 

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕

Ketterdam is infested with ... everything. You know this, everyone knows this. So it wasn’t surprising when a cat followed you come one night - you tried to get rid of it but it wouldn’t leave you alone. He kept rubbing against your leg, purring, rolling on the ground, wanting you to rub him. You just ... couldn’t leave him. 

So you did everything you could to get rid of the fleas (he was a very good boy when you bathed him) and he ate like a horse. 

It took you a while to come up with a name...which did you choose?

𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑹𝒆𝒎𝒖𝒔 𝑳𝒖𝒑𝒊𝒏! I’m so sorry about the gif, Joseph Quinn is my fancast for youngish Remus and I thought “wow this gif is perfect” but also wow he’s crying. So sorry about that!

 Anyway-

I think you two would work because you said that you don’t want a significant other who takes things too far. And Remus doesn’t do that while James and Sirius ... well...they do sometimes. Remus is also very calming to be around, he would feel like a rock in your life. Someone you can count on. 

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

・Likes to knock his knee against yours when you’re sitting next to each other, or give you a wink from across the room when you’re apart

・You’re the only person who knows all of Remus’ secrets. It took a while for him to open up, but you finally got to the stage where he showed every part of him

・Whenever you laugh at his jokes, he nearly dies inside from happiness. Like he’s never felt this overjoyed before. 

・He’s like the mother of the Marauders and that doesn’t diminish when he’s around you. He’ll literally have your favourite things on him when you’re out, just in case you want them. He also has bandaids, an extra jacket, another book etc. Just for you. 

・One time you had to take care of a drunk Remus because he was celebrating with the Marauders and he had a lil too much. When he’s drunk, he’s very honest, gushy and giggly. Not violent at all, and when someone gets aggressive he’s like, “woo someone needs a nap!” 

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

Gwen & Arthur by Rob Lane

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

・Closed Off (Remus) x The Person They Warm Up To (You)

・Pair of walking disasters who cannot function without the other 

・Plant Dies (You) x Buys Them A New One (Remus)

𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆

Character That Doesn't Believe The Other Could Ever Love Them Back But They Do

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

Your creativity and imagination. It’s so powerful and intriguing to him. From that your mind is open and curious. He finds it so attractive. You have this quality to make him think about things that he’s never thought about before. 

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅

Lily; she’s actually extremely humorous in her own right. And yes,, a very bright witch of her age. She showed you a lot of the muggleworld - her world and you fell in love with it. She’s so loyal and would have your back no matter what. 

𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆

A mix of Luna, Neville and Ginny. I can see that you’re so sweet and loving, with a flair of weirdness (in the best way) but also very badass. I feel like you would kick ass when the time is needed

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕

This little guy somehow wandered into your pocket and never wanted to leave. He could somehow sense that you were a good person, a lovely human to be around. And he loved that you spoke to him about everyting- even if he can’t respond

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐥

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈-𝑪𝒉𝒊! Ooh that boy can fight. I think you two would have such a heart warming dynamic. His feelings for you are so deep but it would take so much convincing from the people around him to get him to do something. But once he steps up ... boy are you gonna be wooed. 

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

・IS THE TYPE OF MAN TO DO ALL THE TRADITIONAL DATE THINGS. Buy you flowers, open doors, tuck in your chairs, offer you his arm, give you his jacket, walk on the side of the road etc. 

・Takes things slow; courts you. He kinda reminds me of Steve in that way, but he’s like Steve but with ... extra spice? Shang is just so kind hearted that he’d always make sure you get home safe and wait until you’ve gone through your front door

・During your relationship he shows you his favourite things to do and yes you have ended up drunk singing karaoke 

・Does that romantic thing when he’s teaching you how to defend yourself but his body is close to yours and you both end up blushing and stumbling over your words

・Loves hearing you laugh and says the most corny jokes just to cheer you up. He would literally do ANYTHING to make you happy. 

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

Trapped Souls by Brian Tyler

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

・Shy 'n' Awkward (You) x LOOK HOW CUTE MY PARTNER IS (Shang)

・Brave Warrior (Shang) x Somewhat Self-Assured Damsel (You)

・Always Bringing Them Rocks They Think They Would Like (You) x Keeps The Rocks (Shang)

𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆

Home Is Wherever You Are

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

How you try to make everyone laugh. He loves that you even though you’re anxious, you still put yourself out there. And that , as well as your creativity, he thinks you’re such an interesting person. He also loves the tarot cards - I mean, you live in a magical world, how can divination not be important?

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅

Yelena Belova! You guys can get so loud when you’re together. Nothing is off limits - she loves talking about anything and everything. And she’ll just say the most randomest things but you go along with it because small talk is too boring. 

𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆

A mix of Peter Parker and Thor - you seem like a funny, charismatic and awkward person but you can turn that awkwardness into something charming. But you’re also someone that people should be wary of, because I thinnk there’s more to you. 

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕

Pretty classic pet, he’s a cutie patootie. When you and Shang move in together you decide that you want a pet. And what better pet to get for a golden retriever, than a golden retriever?!

[bogunicorn]

yes i'm still on about this shut up

inej being, like, somehow disappointed or let down by kaz still wearing his gloves in their final scene (vs. inej who, like in her hallucination, is not wearing her knives and is subtextually vulnerable as a result) is kind of weird? because the last time kaz spoke to her, inej pulled away from him; he made what amounts to a bid for connection and she shut him down. he'd been given no indication whatsoever until the actual scene in the chapel that she was receptive to any sort of intimacy or romantic overtures.

he has some pretty good reasons to assume that his feelings for inej are one-sided in general, actually. dude has made it very clear at this point that he cares about her in a unique way: putting up the crow club as collateral for her contract in s1 and then being willing to eat the consequences if she decides to stay with alina, looking for her brother, making sure that she, specifically, is being taken care of when he's dealing with his own shit with pekka, equating the way he feels about her and jesper to religious faith, clearly trying to make some kind of connection with her after their dreams in shu han.

i'll get over this eventually but it's only been a day since i finished season 2 and it's driving me nuts. because i want to like this storyline so much, and i do like 90% of it, they just couldn't... fucking let go of those book lines. they wrote a scenario where kaz brekker is emotionally ready for a relationship but inej isn't, and then gave them a line for the opposite scenario. but instead of making inej look like she has reasonable boundaries, it makes inej look like she's upset that kaz didn't literally read her mind.

idk i guess i'll go to my grave thinking they should have cut that line and replaced it with, like, no kaz, i can't stay with you in ketterdam because i need to learn who i am when i'm not tied to it. no, i'm not ready for the kind of relationship you clearly want for Reasons. or, hell, even have her turn it back on him; we already did the "stay with me, inej" scene in season 1, have inej be like, i have my freedom, i want to pursue my brother and figure out who i am now, why don't you come with me? and then that forces kaz to refuse her and then inej can go, see, you want things from me that you can't reciprocate, i can't commit my life to your goals or something bc if i did how is that any different from being bound to ketterdam by a contract. then let 'em forehead touch and oh no it's so tragic, they want to be together but aren't ready to make it work, and they separate.

[chanelle-styles]

Nosy crows and mysterious drawing-Kaz Brekker

Pairing: Kaz Brekker x reader, Crows x reader (platonic)

Character: Kaz Brekker

Warning: Swearing, kaz's touch aversion

Summary: After a long day of the crows shipping you and Kaz, you run to kaz's office and after a few revelations and drawings as well as a couple goat jokes feelings are spilled.

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You knock lightly on kaz's office door, a little nervous and waited for any kind of reaction.A stern emotionless, "Come in," came from the other side of the door. You slightliy walk into the small office and see Kaz leaned over his desk, hunched over, working on paperwork, not even looking up at you entering the room. "What do you want?" He says knowingly.

"Hello to you too Kaz" I say sarcastically at his 'loving and warm' welcome.

Kaz's head pops up quickly and he meets your eyes with his own, a dark stern stare. He's not exactly sure what to make of you coming into his office or what you wanted if it was good or bad "Oh! Hello." He says, sarcasm in his voice. "What can I do for you?" He asks. His manner of speech is professional and cordial, yet there's an edge of suspicion to it.

"Nothing really I was just going to come and keep you company while you work quietly"You say trying to persuade him to not kick you out but he jus raises an eyebrow at you telling you to 'go on'

"And the other crows drove me crazy downstairs so I thought I'd come were no one else dares to thread"

He raises an eyebrow. "Other Crows? What other Crows?" he wonders to himself, making a mental note to find out about that later. "Is that so?" He says, not hiding his skepticism quite as much. "Well." He adds, motioning for you to have a seat. "Have a seat, then."

You give him a small thankful smile and sit down with my book knowing kaz wasn't one to talk much. "Also I've got to warn you Jesper was talking about buying another goat although you said no to him about a million times already"

"A goat. What does that idiot need with a goat?" Kaz asks with annoyance. He runs a hand through his hair, and sighs heavily, running a hand over his face. He's clearly frustrated, and you can see it on his face. "Does he enjoy making my life difficult?"

"I think he enjoys bringing your blood pressure up, he said something along the lines of wanting to replace some Milo I don't really know what he meant, I'm just telling you, now remember you didn't hear this from me" you say giving him information you'd heard earlier.

Kaz sighs and makes a note in his paperwork. "Talk to Jesper. About the goat and Milo." He says. "Thank you," He adds, and smiles slightly. "I'll make sure you aren't outed as the source of this... goatgate.... drama." He says to you seriously but with a hint of humor deep in his voice.

You lightly giggle adding on "Could you imagine a goat in the club or the slat?" You say with a slight luagh.

Kaz actually physically shudders. The idea of a goat in the nightclub is bad enough, but the thought of having one down in the Slat...! "Saints no! That would be.. terrible." Kaz says, the thought of the goat in the sewer causing him such distress. " Are the other Crows as annoying as Jesper, or is it just him?"

"Well I wouldn't say he's annoying kaz, he's a sweet guy and he means well, it's just that I wouldn't wann live with a goat anytime soon. The other crows were having semmi normal conversation before they started on the topic of me and I though I'd get out of there before it went further" you say getting a bit annoyed at the memory.

"Fair. Although he is quite literally trying to buy a goat. That is annoying," Kaz says bluntly with a shrug. "What else did you hear?" He asks with a note of curiosity. "I'm guessing they were talking about you. The Crows can be gossipy bunch. At least I know they're not talking about me for once no one can do as much as yawn without them knowing." He smiles lightly the end of his mouth raising at his own joke.

"Oh but they were, as per usual they were making up their silly little rumours and 'shipping' people and wondering about our past. I got annoyed at their speculation and jesper's crying because he wanted a goat while on wyland's lap wasn't helping my anger" you say with a bit of an annoyed tone "Don't get me wrong I love them as friends just they can get a bit too nosy sometimes "

"Oh, I see ," Kaz says, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Of course they were talking about those absurd rumors. It was to be expected. He's heard bits and pieces over the years, so this is neither surprising nor a big deal. He shakes his head, a slight, amused smile tugging at his lips. "That's just ridiculous," He says. At the mention of Jesper, he smirks slightly. "That's a funny mental picture."

"I'm not gonna lie it was actually kinda funny watching him sob cursing you for not letting him get a goat* you joked and giggle lightly "they're absolutely ridiculous if you ask me, we're mearly work partners kaz I don't know why they insist that there's something more"

"Of course, partners." Kaz says with a small smile and a glint in his eyes. "I can't blame them though. People do love their gossip, speculation and rumors." Kaz's smirks, a small laugh on his lips. "It's just one of those things. As long as you know it isn't true, isn't that all that matters?"

*Yes I suppose so, it just gets annoying sometimes ok, and you know my past isn't the brightest and I hate it when they keep trying to pry wanting to know how we met, and everything else" you say rolling your eyes and crossing your arms looking at kaz.

"Your past is nobody's business but your own unless you're willing to tell them about it. No matter how many questions those rumors stir up, don't give in to their childish and gossipy whims." Kaz says plainly. "Not everyone deserves to know just because they're curious. If you wanted to tell them the whole story you would have, they shouldn't try to squeeze it out." His voice sounds serious, but there's still a softness behind the words which is unlike him.

"well I don't, it just gets annoying and repetitive* you say with a sigh.

"If people are getting on your nerves, give me a ring and I'll sort them out," Kaz says with a shrug. As their leader, he tries his best to protect his Dregs from as much outside interference as he can. He knows what you've all been through, and he understands. He understands that not everyone in the Barrel is kind, and that's one of the reasons why he does what he does. Not everyone gets a happy life. He wants to make sure that the Crows that he loves and cares for do have a happy life. He'll do anything to protect them although he'll never admit it or show it in anyway.

"I can take care of my self kaz, don't worry I always have" you say grateful but strong non the less. "So no goat? Then huh"you jokingly say trying to change the subject.

"Alright, alright," Kaz smirks softly. "No goat." He laughs lightly again then takes a few seconds to collect himself. He leans over the desk towards you. "But if you do need anything, I mean anything... do talk to me.. "He says, and there's a genuine softness and sincerity to his words. "That's what I'm here for. Not just to run the Dregs, but to make sure my Crows are okay."

"I know kaz, thank you very much" you say a bit shocked, Kaz has never talked to anyone in this way, at least that you know, you shake any thoughts out of your head.Suddenly you hear a noise outside kaz's door "I swear to all the saints if they're listing in on our conversation just to keep adding to their rumours I'm gonna kill them"

"It does sound a little suspicious. Who knows? You know how it is in the Barrel," Kaz says. "Just stay here, I'll go check it out." He says as he pushes himself up off his desk and walks over to his office door. When he throws the door open he's met with a wall of Crows... not quite as many as he was expecting, but still a good amount. His eyes dart between them all before he raises his voice a little. "Which one of you was trying to snoop on me?" All the crows slowly pick them selves off the floor after kaz opened the door sending them to the ground

"oh we weren't listing to anything just walking by" is all jesper says ovjusly lying.

"Bullshit," *Kaz says plainly, looking at each and every one of them. He's always had quite the sense for when someone is trying to lie to him. "You were all listening, weren't you?" He says. There's something different about Kaz's voice when he's mad, something dark and aggressive that the crows are used to by now. This feels different than just his normal anger they think though.

Nina starts talking this time "Oh come on kaz you can't blame us we were just curious what you two have going on between you cause we're sick of all the sexual tension during missions. Why don't you two just admit you love each other?" You go up behind kaz giving her a mad look as you blush slightly.

"I can blame you, and I do." Kaz's voice is like ice, sharp and cold. When he speaks, there's no humor or wit or warmth behind his words. He turns to look at Nina and gives her the coldest look she's ever seen from him. He's normally calm and collected, even when he's mad. But this.... it's something else entirely. His eyes are narrowed, dark and cold in comparison to his usual dark brown. He doesn't say anything, though. He lets the look speak for him.

Jesper speaks up again "Oh come on kaz you two have known each other for longer then I know you're just too stubborn to admit there's something going on"

The anger is still clear in Kaz's voice when he speaks again. His words are quiet, but there's no missing that tone that just speaks of anger. He doesn't look at Jesper or Nina when he speaks, he keeps those narrow eyes fixed on Nina and her dumb comment. "I said shut up," He growls. "Is that understood?"

They seem to fear kaz and stayed quite until then jesper spoke up again "kaz you know what would really shut me up if you'd be so kind as to let me get a small fluffy little baby goat to fill the void in my heart..."

Kaz walks up to Jespers face and leans in so they're essentially nose to nose. "I will personally break your fingers," he says quietly, his tone absolutely threatening, to the point where even Nina seems to be intimidated. "There is no goat. You understand? No. Goat." His finger points down between them, shaking the slightest bit. Kaz has never been this mad before, especially at someone who was so important to the Dregs and more importantly him. He's furious. His teeth are gritted. His voice is full of anger and cold violence.

Jesper swolows hard and backs away slightly "But kaz I promise to take care of it" he practically begs.

"I don't care what you think you can do," Kaz hisses, still not looking away from Jesper and his finger still pointing between them. Even the Dregs that are watching are now visibly shaken and scared. "No. Goat." His voice is cold, a little shake in his words. A few moments pass with just the two of them staring at each other, before Kaz finally takes a step back and drops his finger. He seems to be calming down, his anger not as intense as it was before. His eyes are still cold though. He doesn't like having people push him.

Nina gathers the courage to speak again "We're just trying to make you happy and less grouchy by encouraging you to find love even if you won't admit it yourself"

"And what would I know about love, exactly?" Kaz asks, that edge of sarcasm and coldness back to his tone as he looks at Nina and her stupid, stupid words. He tries very hard to keep his rage in check. He's still mad. His fists are so tightly clenched, you can see the white of his knuckles poking through his skin. He's trying not to yell, but his voice raises slightly as it comes to the tip of his tongue. "If I don't need anything from anyone then why in the name of all the Saints should I find love?!" Another stupid comment! Kaz's eyes widen and he takes a step back, completely disgusted and appalled by Nina's words. He gives her a horrible look and speaks through gritted teeth, his anger boiling deep inside and threatening to be unleashed. These Crows are all terrible people. But deep down he knows he'll end up just the way he always was. Alone.

You've had enough of this and get an angry look on your face and get in front of kaz. "ok that's enough all of you just go away and stop fucking listening in on people's conversations and assuming things you don't know* You yell at them then stand back shutting the door of kaz's office closing it shut with a bang.

The Crows go completely silent. No one says a word. Nina backs away fearfully and tries to get away, and the rest look like they want to follow suit. They don't want to cause any more trouble with Brekker. They stand there for a moment, unsure what to say, before Jespers voice speaks up. "Are we really not getting a goat then?" The sound of his voice makes the rest of them laugh and they start to leave the room. Nina is the last to leave, not making eye contact and walking away with her head down.

"I told you they're so infuriating, sometimes they just don't know when to stop" you groaned sitting down and bringing your angered red face into the palms of your hand.

"Yeah, they are, aren't they?" Kaz says with a sigh. "No matter how many times I tell them." He shakes his head at the thought of it and sighs. "Did they bother you?" He asks, the normal amount kindness and caring back to his voice. He sounds concerned. "I'm sorry if they upset you. You were right, you know. They shouldn't be trying to get involved."

"Well it's not your fault kaz you can't control them as much as you would love to" You say looking at him my face still red. "Also I hate to break it to you but I think jesper still hasn't given up on that stupid goat idea"

"Well, that's his problem," Kaz says flippantly, though a small smile plays on his lips at the thought. "No Goat." His tone is final, as is his decision. "I'll talk to him myself about that goat. But you should know," his voice lowers slightly and he leans over the desk a little towards you "If people keep bothering you, I won't just sit there and watch it happen. " He raises an eyebrow at you, his eyes narrow as he tries to gauge your reply to that. "Are we clear?"

"Mhm,are you going to hit them with your cane?" You joke, not knowing if he'll take it as a joke or be mad at you.

Kaz chuckles. "If I have to," he says lightly. His tone is joking, but there's an ounce of truth in there. He would, if it went that far. "They're like kids, you know. Always needing to be kept in check." He chuckles again, shaking his head. "That's the price I pay for being the boss." He makes a sweeping gesture with his hands as if the Dregs were children and he was their father. "But it's worth it," he adds quietly, and there's some genuine care in his voice.

"It's true they are like children now that you mention it, why are they so invested in our so called 'relationship' anyway?"

"The Crows are very gossipy." Kaz says with a laugh. "They like to speculate about everything, and they're very nosy." He shrugs. "It all goes along with being in a gang, I suppose. Not a lot to talk about besides the Dregs, so they get interested in the people who make their way in and out." He gives you a thoughtful look as he adds "And what we're doing is rather interesting." He's joking with that last statement, his voice playful.

You let out a sigh "I suppose your right, you are most of the time, about almost everything"

"I know I am." He says, the words playful and bantering. "Sometimes I wish the Crows could just focus on what they need to instead of just bothering people. But they're good people, deep down." He sighs. "Just a bit nosy and careless." There's a frown on his face for a moment but it disappears just as fast as it comes. "How do you put up with them?" He jokes. "It couldn't have been easy for you." His voice is light as he asks.

""They're actual really nice and fun most of the time kaz. When they're not trying to discover your darkest secrets like. Treasure chest of gold" I say sarcasticly jokingly.

Kaz bursts out in small fit of laughter, the first time he's done so in quite a while. He sighs and looks back up at you, still chuckling. "Yeah, I'll admit that's true," he says when he's finally calmed down. "Those idiots really have no boundaries," he adds with a laugh and he gives an affectionate shake of his head. "And you put up with this nonsense? What a saint you must be. " His voice is full of admiration.

As he starts laughing you do the same you've never noticed how contagious his laugh really is, maybe some you've never heard it. "I must be huh I bet I'd even challenge Alina if I wanted to, she might be the Saint of the sun or whatever but I'm the Saint of patients" you joke laughing.

The laugh you share warms Kaz's heart no matter how small and cold it is, and he gives you a small smile as a laugh escapes through his lips. He nods slowly, thinking before he says, "The patience of a Saint, that's for sure. Not everyone would be so tolerant and understanding." His eyes linger on you for a moment before he shakes his head and laughs at your joke. "What would your Saintly duties be?" he asks, a small smile on his lips. "If you actually did challenge Alina, what would you do?" A small smirk plays on his lips.

"Oh my duties keeping the crows alive in more ways then one, keeping them from doing stupid things and then stooping my self from committing a murder when they ask me who I have a crush on like I'm a child. And I'd never challenge her kaz are you crazy I was mearly joking"

"Well, you do seem to have your responsibilities under control," he smiles. He raises an eyebrow at your comment about challenging Alina but then rolls his eyes and shakes his head, "Well, I was joking too. It was just an interesting idea to entertain." Kaz shrugs. "You ever get bored, I guess we could always set up a match." His grin is not very wide but his eyes sparkle as he speaks. He's definitely teasing you now, and he lets his words hang in the air for a few moments before going back to the topic of the Crows and their many shenanigans.

"Yeah I bet that match would last about five seconds before I get blinded and somehow die in the stupidest way possible. Trust me I'm doing my duties well now but if I get one more question from them about if me and you are married I might just snap" I say hoping he won't get mad getting slightly annoyed at all the times Nina or Jesper asked that question, sometimes as a joke.

"Married?" Kaz makes a face before he laughs. "Who said that?! Was it Nina? It was Nina, wasn't it?" He shakes his head. "I really need to have a good long talk with her... maybe take my cane to her," he mumbles thoughtfully. "No more questions about marriage. Is that understood?" It's a threat, and although he tries to cover it up with teasing or a laugh, he means every single word.

"Oh you don't even know half of it, and it's Nina and Jesper. Did you know in their fantasy of a world they have already planned our make believe wedding they even have drawings and designs, I'll even find them and show them to you,if you don't believe me since honestly I wouldn't even believe me.Oh also instead of a flower girl jesper insists that we get a goat for the wedding you know to throw flower petals down the aisle"

Kaz's eyes widen and he lets out a small chuckle. He can't believe it. He's almost impressed at how far they've thought this through, but he's also still a little bit appalled. "Jesper!" He shakes his head and laughs again just to hide how annoyed he is. "A goat? Really? Why are they so obsessed with this goat?" He asks, his voice going from annoyance to genuine confusion. He shakes his head again, but he's still laughing. "They never cease to baffle me. I'll talk to him... seriously though what's with the goat?"

"I don't know honestly kaz it amazes me how he manages to talk about it in every way possible way and every possible conversation weather it's about a heist or his favourite food, the goat will get involved" you sigh then get an idea "wait give me a second" You say then run out the office and come back with the drawings Jesper and Nina drew of me and kaz's wedding.

Kaz takes the drawings and his eyebrows go up in surprise at the drawings. "They drew these?". His tone is shocked but also confused. "How long did they spend on this?!" He asks, shaking his head with disbelief. But he looks at the picture longer, analyzing it and taking it in. It's weird, but... also kind of sweet, if that makes sense? "They're such... children, really. But... this is nice." He smiles a small smile and looks up at you "How do you put up with it? They're a lot."

"I have a sneakily feeling that wyland helps them with the drawings, and honestly they are quite nice in a creepy way. I mean the wedding dress they drew for me isn't quite bad actually, if they'd put this much effort into hesitates we'd be the richest in town. I honestly don't know how I put up with them I told you kaz I'm a saint" you say looking through the drawings and giggling.

Kaz's eyes narrow at the thought of Wyland's role in the drawings when you mention him, but he doesn't speak up. "Well, if we have the drawings, why not just have the wedding already?" He jokes, still smiling. His voice is teasing but there's a slight hint of sarcasm at the end that makes him seem like he's only half-joking. "I mean, clearly it's what the people want," His smile becomes slightly sly as he speaks, all humor gone at once as the smile turns into pure mischief. "What do you think?"

At this you start blushing shocked and your jaw dropped. "Well- I-I don't...What ?" You stutter this wasn't like kaz at all.

The smirk on his face doesn't fade. If anything, it grows wider. "The marriage, silly!" He chuckles at you, a look of pure glee and delight evident on his features. He looks pleased with himself, the idea that he just suggested the marriage and that he got you to blush, well... that puts a smile on his face that could light up a room. "Why not? We're already like a married couple, anyway." *He's half joking, but his tone is also clearly playing into it.

You stay absolutely shocked "what?" You hesitate and stutter "kaz are you being serious?" You say utterly shell shocked

Kaz's expression is one of absolute delight and joy. He's almost glowing with it."Do I look like I'm joking?" He asks as he crosses the space between the two of you, looking down at you almost apologetically. "Seriously. What do you say?" His eyes are wide and his smile reaches his eyes. "It'd be fun! Just think; we're together anyway, why not just formalize it? I mean, we already share almost everything." His face turns to one of pure bliss as he speaks.

"wait your serious?" I say in utter shock and disbelief. "Kaz we've never even kissed before we can't just get married all of a sudden we're not even dating, and I and I" you stutter out flustered "kaz an-"

He cut you off with a look that says 'you can't seriously be falling for this' and at the raise of that eye brow you relax, he was pulling you leg you should have known.

Kaz laughs as you stutter, but there's no malice to the sound of it, as if he's amused by your embarrassment, but is not mocking you for it. "I know," he admits, leaning closer, his eyes searching your face. "But just because we haven't kissed yet, doesn't mean we can't start now." His eyes flick to your lips as he speaks, and he smiles at the way they part slightly at the thought. "What do you say?" He tilts his head as he asks, still close enough that he could kiss you if you wanted. It's clear he's been thinking about this for a long time and debating if he had enough courage to actually go through with it, to touch you

You were to stunned to even move or say anything so you stay quiet not doing anything but you just close eyes letting your body take over, mind going numb as you throw all send out the attic window

A small smile appears on Kaz's lips as he sees this. He leans in the rest of the way, his breath brushing your cheek as he does. His breath is slow, soft, and gentle, and when he's just a cm away from you his hand rests softly on the side of your face. His lips settle on yours, and his soft lips meet yours in a tender kiss that's filled with so much care and kindness. Although it wasn't long as he felt the water from his past rise and the image of Jordie takes over his mind so he pulls away in a slight panic.

A soft smile appears on your face "it's ok kaz you don't have to do more then your ready too." You say as kaz slowly goes back to his seat deep in thought. "But hey maybe they were right after all"

Kaz laughs when you do, but a slight touch of confusion on his face as you mention the Crows."Right about what?" He asks thoughtfully, as if he's just piecing together a puzzle. He looks at you with an inquisitive gaze, raising his eyebrows in question. "What do you mean by that?" His face becomes serious as he asks, the playfulness disappeared from his voice as he tries to understand what you mean. His words are careful, and every movement deliberate as he waits for your response.

"About us Kaz, maybe we do deserve love" you blush slightly not being used to this type of talk looking at your feet as a distraction "don't worry I'm not talking about the goat" you say trying to joke.

Kaz's eyes soften and his lips curl into a small smile. "Maybe we do deserve love," he repeats your words softly, but his face is still serious. He's trying to make sure he takes every word seriously in the hopes that he won't misunderstand or misread your words even once. "Do you believe I love you?" He asks you softly, his eyes never leaving yours as he waits for you to answer.

You blush even more and nod "I love you too kaz I really do for a long time, but maybe we should wait a bit longer for a wedding" you chuckle.

Kaz sighs with some relief, and he smiles at you softly. "If that's what you want, then I'll wait," he says quietly, his tone soft. "I won't push you into anything. But you know I love you, right? I care for you deeply and I'm glad that you feel the same way." His smile grows as he speaks, his eyes on yours. "Just so you know... so you never have to doubt me."

"I've never doubted you, the crows are going to be really happy, they might start drawing and making up other thing" you joke and laugh, you then pick up one of the drawings from Jesper and I look at it in shock.

His eyes follow your glance at the drawing on your hands, an eyebrow raised at the look of shock on your face. "What's that?" He asks curiously, leaning forward to get a better look at the picture "What are you so shocked about? It's only a drawing?" His tone is half serious, half teasing, but there's a bit of real confusion in there as well at your reaction.

You turn the drawings to him "Seems like Nina and Jesper really thought hard about it, did you know we even have a child in their fantasy kaz" you say giggling showing him the pictures Nina and jesper came up with, with me Kaz and a child.

Kaz goes silent as he sees the picture and he looks surprised, laughing softly as he takes the paper out of your hands and holds it up. The picture is indeed well done and he looks at it for a decent amount of time. "They drew us with a child?" His voice is full of surprise and amusement, but there's a touch of awe and admiration as well. He looks back up at you, his eyes wide and his smile even wider. "Wow.. they did think hard about this, didn't they?" He stares at you, his smile turning into one of pure joy.

"I can't believe them, does she have a name" you joke refering to the child.

Kaz chuckles at the joke. "I have no idea," he says, laughing fondly at your laughter. He then looks back down at the picture. "They never mentioned they had a name for them." He pauses for a moment and then nods, a small smile on his face. "But a name might be in order. He looks up at you with a smile. "What do you think, hmm? Got any ideas?" His voice is playful, as he looks back at you with expectation and amusement.

You laugh "kaz jr" you joke "Maybe we should go ask them and confront them hmm?"

Kaz bursts out in laughter at the suggestion, and it takes him a minute to collect himself enough to answer you. "I am so in favor of this idea. This whole thing is hilarious." He shakes his head and smiles at you, the smile turning into a grin. "They're gonna freak out when we confront them about it. Come on. Let's go." He hops to his feet and waits for you by the door holding it open. "Shall we?"

"We shall"

[clarencethemouse]

Jesper Fahey Relationship Headcanons

I’ve procrastinated this one for literally so long

Okay I started this when the teaser trailer for season 2 came out. I published it on November 22. That’s three months. Enjoy :)

his only purpose in life is to annoy you into submission and he knows it

he’s the type to see you laying down, enjoying life and just lay down on your stomach 

you could be reading happily and he shoves his face between you and your book 

you’re just vibing in the Crow Club, trying not to get a finger chopped off and he’ll walk up with the worst pick up line possible

he demands attention in quirky ways like that

and since you know he will not back off until his demands are met, you cave

if he sees you in a truly bad mood, too bad to deal with his crap, he’ll back off for as long as you need

but it’ll cost him

this man is touch needy I swear

like he doesn’t need your touch to survive. He gets it enough as it is. But it’s like a drug to him

you are literally like a drug

anyone dares to hit on you or threaten you in the club, they get a bullet in their brain

Inej adores you

if you’re curious, she would drop everything on the spot to teach you Suli history and cultures 

Wylan doesn’t like you. He holds back vomit every time you step into a room. We have no idea why 

Jesper wouldn’t like the idea of you joining the Dregs or Crows

if Kaz was insistent that you were needed on the team for a mission, Jesper would make it his job to find someone else with the same skillset

he would never admit this to your face, but he would need to find someone much better at such skillset than you

not because he thinks you’re not good enough at what you do, but because that would be the only way to convince Kaz against you

even if he managed to find someone satisfactory given the short notice the Dregs often work on, Kaz had his reasons as to why he wanted you on the job. He will not budge 

so Jesper is forced to budge

his heart is racing the entire damn night

when you two get done and return home, he checks you over for things as minor as paper cuts 

this poor man is horrified Kaz only knows about you because of your affiliation. He thinks it’s his fault you got roped into all that mess

spoiler alert: it’s not 

but try to convince that to him 

wear his clothes. I dare you. See how long he keeps you in bed after one millisecond of seeing you in his clothes 

often times when he’s stuck at a table, the only thing that could bring him back to reality is a good dirty whisper in his ear

he literally perks up with a smirk and throws them cards down

his opponent is like “bruh what”

and Jesper just waltzes off, never to be seen for the rest of the night